The side effects of stone soup.
By Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (50323)
November 1, 2025 2:54pm CST
Did you ever hear of the legend of stone soup? The tale originally came from the European area. Several strangers arrived in a town, carrying nothing but a large pot, desperately hungry with no resources. They asked for a few things, but no one would help them. They went to a nearby stream, filled the pot with water, and added a stone. They built a fire, put on the pot of water, and waited for something to happen.
Soon, people showed up and peered in the pot, saw the boiling stone, and pretty much thought the travelers were crazy. . When asked what they were making in the pot, one of the travelers said, stone soup, which was a wonderful dish,. and that they would share with everyone. But he said his soup needed some more ingredients and flavoring to make it delicious.
A villager stepped up and said, I have some carrots, and brought them to be sliced and added to the pot. Soon there were other hungry villagers, and one by one they came with an ingredient--potatoes, many types of vegetables, some meats, butter, salt and pepper. None of the villagers said much about sharing the soup, but they were helpful in providing one ingredient each. Soon the pot was boiling, and the stone soup smelled so delicious that everyone was very excited to try it.
The stone was removed and the soup was shared by all. They couldn't remember having such a delicious soup. Yes, the strangers had an idea to hopefully try to obtain a few ingredients to put in their pot. But when everyone pitched in the small amount of an ingredient that they had, they were all blessed with a delicious meal, and much, much more.
Different countries have developed variations of this story over the years, but yet the message is the same, no matter what version you know or have read about.
The villagers and the travelers, they worked together. None of them had hardly anything, but they learned that if they worked together, they could create something wonderful and their generous, although small, donations to the pot, working together they could accomplish something great.
No, this isn't really practical nowadays, I'm sure. But the idea is that if we are facing hard times and pull together, it will build friendships and a strong community.
I've always had a fascination for weird or strange rocks, how they arrived at their shape, colors, and locations. Just like people...
There are many recipes online for stone soup. This, I didn't know.
Picture taken online from Dolly's stone soup.
15 people like this
14 responses
@RasmaSandra (90426)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
21h
Very interesting story, Never heard about this, However, I do not think I will put a stone in my pot, I would rather put in a ham hocki,
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (50323)
•
19h
Well, I can understand that. I would like that,too.
This is a very old story, and is even a children’s book. Of course, the stone is symbolic, it served as the base to teach the people to work together.
@snowy22315 (198204)
• United States
18h
Recipes online for it how funny. I also know that story as nail broth. When I had my heart surgery as a child and was in the ICU..My dad read to me for hours out of a storybook that had the tale. in.although I had already heard of it as stone soup. Me needing major surgery was so hard on him. He was more traumatized by it then I was. Great story of community pulling together.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (50323)
•
16h
Oh, what a nice memory, your Dad reading it to you when you were sick. 
I did discover it had more names than I thought. I had heard the nail name, and also axe. I discovered it can be called bolt soup, or wood. Evidently if they didn't use a stone in the story, they put something else in there that wasn't edible!
I did discover it had more names than I thought. I had heard the nail name, and also axe. I discovered it can be called bolt soup, or wood. Evidently if they didn't use a stone in the story, they put something else in there that wasn't edible!1 person likes this
now that sounds dangerius!
@FourWalls (79852)
• United States
16h
That's a great story. Never had "stone soup." We have something here called burgoo, which basically is anything you have on hand thrown in the pot with whatever meat you have on hand.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (50323)
•
16h
I've had burgoo before, it wasn't bad. Southern Illinois has community chowders in the summers. They do use a recipe, and it has a lot of ingredients. Endless chopped vegetables, cooked beef tips that have to be shredded after cooking to go in the big kettles, cooked chicken is the same. Broth, etc...it generally cooks most of the day and they stir it with huge wooden stirring paddles.
Back in the day they added squirrels and no doubt every critter available, but now that's regulated and not allowed.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (50323)
•
13h
I think I might have to intervene if you try to dump in a mouse...but hey, some of your stray green beans or snow peas would be welcome!
@MarieCoyle (50323)
•
12h
It's amazing what can be accomplished when people work together, isn't it? I love this story.
@MarieCoyle (50323)
•
16h
I heard it as a young child and we had the book, too. I love the meaning behind it.
@MarieCoyle (50323)
•
22h
It just stresses how things can turn around for the best, when people pull together. I love the message in it.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (50323)
•
16h
This is an old story. I hadn't ever heard of that, but I suppose it's possible!
@LadyDuck (486256)
• Italy
11h
The "sopa de pedra" (stone soup) is a recipe originating from the Portuguese cuisine.
The original legend tells the story of a friar who, hungry, arrived at a house and asked for a pot to make stone soup. The friar added water to the stone and, upon tasting it, suggested that the soup would be better with a little of each ingredient that people could offer. With everyone's collaboration, adding beans, sausage, potatoes, and other vegetables, the soup became a complete and tasty meal for everyone.
@MarieCoyle (50323)
•
12h
@wolfgirl569
It's an oldie but the message is still the same.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (50323)
•
19h
I have, too. My daughter read it to my little grandsons this summer and they loved it.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (50323)
•
22h
Yes, I was very young when I heard it, too. A good story.
1 person likes this
