Recipe for Stone Soup Community Party

Stone Soup, Irish Stew, Mulligan Stew, Community Stew and Hobo Stew are terms that are often used interchangeably, but sometimes have different connotations. I prefer Stone Soup, as it is often told as a tale of people coming together to create and share a meal. (See links below for more details.)

The basic premise of a Stone Soup party is that you invite friends over and have them contribute to a soup that you all share. If you're not up for socializing, you can adapt these same concepts while cleaning out your own refrigerator.

Some of you less adventurous souls might be nervous about all of this uncertainty. This instructable is about a few things, but it is as much about how to make a good soup base, as anything else. I’ve found that if you have a good base, you have a 99% chance of success, which is pretty good. I’ll even fill you in on what I did wrong when I’ve messed up that last 1% or so of the soups I’ve attempted.

Here are some links to the folk tales referenced above:
Wikipedia’s entry of the Stone Soup tale http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_soup
Hobo Stew or Community Stew
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobo_stew
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobo_stew

If you want to make a huge event out of it, see this article on the tradition of Booyah: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Booyah_(stew)

Step 1: The Basic Concept

To make Stone Soup invite your friends over and ask them to bring over scraps of food that they’re not sure what to do with. In old stories the soups had random vegetables and meat. Stress to your friends that they are to bring scraps, and not more than about two hands-full per person or your pot will be overflowing.

Have friends scan their pantries, refrigerators and freezers with these thoughts in mind:
-what has been sitting there for a while?
-what is something that I might not otherwise use?
Specific examples are: the end of a flavorful cheese, the last part of a casserole that you’re tired of eating, and often-tossed vegetable parts such as celery leaves, broccoli stems and sweet potato peels. (As you start thinking in these terms, you’ll start saving scraps for soups in the freezer.) Spice packets that I purchased with good intentions and ends of specialty noodles are good choices, too.

Ask about possible dietary restrictions when you call, and consider creating different pots to accommodate for them (allergies, religious observances, and for vegetarian and low-carb diets).

I’ve also learned to have people bring a container so they can bring some soup home. Of course you can send people home with old sour cream containers or baggies full of soup, too.

Check to see if you have enough bowls and spoons. Instead of buying plastic or disposable, think about having guests bring their own bowls and spoons to supplement what you’ve got.

Comments

[Lorddrake]

Here is an idea to solve two problems in one ... have people bring their ingredients in their soup bowl.
That way you don't get someone bringing an overabundance of ingredients, and everyone has a bowl to eat the finished soup in.

[porcupinemamma]

It's a very fun idea! I was just wondering about vegetable peels though-wouldn't they be kind of yucky? Thanks also for the links :0)

[ProBiotic]

It is a matter of taste. Most peels really are where the nutrients are, however. I never peel my carrots, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, but never eat kohlrabi peel or beet peels for example.