STONE SOUP BY DOLLY PARTON

Stone Soup by Dolly Parton image

Provided by Maggie M @LovingMyKitchen

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 quart(s) chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
1 pound(s) russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 can(s) (14 ½ ounce can) diced tomatoes
1 - small head cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 pound(s) turnips, peeled and diced
2 - large carrots, diced
1 - small onion, chopped
4 clove(s) garlic, minced
1 - smoked ham hock
1 - or more - very clean stones
- salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

There are many renditions of the lore about Stone Soup but I found the one presented by Dolly Parton to be such a heartwarming version that it's my favorite. When she tells her backstory on the stone soup you can see how it is filled with family, love, and ingenuity. It will warm your heart as much as any bowl of soup. "Mamma used to tell us when we really didn't have that much to eat in our house, she used to tell us to go out in the yard. She said, 'Go get me a rock'," explained Dolly. Her mother would make the children bring their stones into the kitchen and scrub them down. As the family worked together cleaning rocks, mama would ask about their day and, according to Dolly, whichever child needed a little extra kindness or special display of affection that day would get their stone added to the soup along with whatever ingredients they happened to have in their kitchen that day. "We all felt like we were helping to feed our family for the day," said Dolly.
Combine the stock, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, turnips, carrots, onion, garlic, and ham hock in a large soup pot.
Add the stone or stones.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the soup is thick and the vegetables are fork-tender, about 2 hours.
Remove the ham hock from the soup, remove the meat from the bone, and chop it into ½ inch pieces.
Add the meat back to the soup. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
Serve piping hot with the ones you love.