Thursday, January 29, 2009

stone soup (with lentils)

Did you ever hear the stone soup story when you were a kid? Whenever I make a pot of something, and I don't know exactly what I'm going to put in it or even what I've got in the fridge that could contribute, I think about that fable.

You start with a stone (i.e. a main ingredient - in this case, lentils), and you go from there.

I got the original recipe from a magazine (though I don't have the publishing details), and it calls for:
  • lentils
  • sweet potatoes
  • onion
  • celery
  • cumin
  • coriander
  • red bell pepper
  • chicken broth
  • spinach
What I actually used:
  • lentils
  • chicken
  • one sweet potato
  • carrots
  • onion
  • cumin (1 t.)
  • coriander (1 t.)
  • chicken bouillon cubes
  • turnip greens
  • splash of lemon juice (I actually forgot I added that until I saw Deb's lentil soup at Souper Sundays and it reminded me!)
So it was similar, but different, in a stony kind of way. It takes a village.

You just boil one cup of lentils with 4.5 cups of water, a few chicken bouillon cubes, and a bay leaf for about 20 minutes or so, then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for a while, till everything's tender, adding the greens last, just so they wilt.

Submitting this to Kahakai Kitchen's Souper Sunday again. This fits in the souper category, for sure.

Oh, and don't forget your wheat-germ crackers. They'd be sad to miss the party.

11 comments:

K and S said...

what a great soup and thanks for bringing back memories of that story too!

Ivy said...

What a lovely, hearty and healthy soup!!

Deb in Hawaii said...

Your soup looks delicious! Lentils were my "stone" of choice this week as well. Thanks for coming to Souper Sunday--I just got the post up.

Aloha,

Deb

Abigail (aka Mamatouille) said...

K and S, my husband had never heard the story, so it was natsukashii for me and new for him! :)

Ivy, thanks! :)

Deb, going to see the roundup now! Thanks again. :) Aloha!

Reeni said...

I love that story, your soup looks delicious, so warm and cozy!!

Abigail (aka Mamatouille) said...

Reeni, me, too! :) And thanks! Sorry I haven't been round to your blog lately - I haven't been able to get to my Google Reader like I want to lately - so many diapers to change!

The Duo Dishes said...

Lentils and sweet potatoes! Genius combo. Loooooove sweeeet taters.

Abigail (aka Mamatouille) said...

Duo Dishes, I was wishing I had more than one sweet potato at the time because it WAS really good together. :)

FOODalogue said...

That's the way I "follow" a recipe too. I get an idea of what it's supposed to be and then go for what's at hand and do my own thing. I like your version better!

Peter M said...

I hadn't heard of the soup until now! The soup is nice & chunky...lovely winter fare.

Abigail (aka Mamatouille) said...

Joan, thanks! It was pretty yummy.

Peter, I do love chunky soup. My British husband had never heard of stone soup, either!