Wiaw (3) & Rock Soup

Do y'all shout out back the majority Stone Soup? If y'all haven't read it, the premise is that a bunch of travelers, who convey only a large pot, brand it inwards a hamlet too enquire for food. The villagers acre that they produce non convey whatsoever to spare. However, equally fourth dimension goes by, each villager adds their pocket-sized exceptional (veggies, spices, herbs) to the boiling pot of H2O amongst a stone inwards it, too it eventually becomes soup. In the end, everyone shares the soup.

I intend this storey is supposed to learn children to share, too that together they volition convey something wonderful. However, I don't desire to dwell on that. What I similar is that they simply throw whatever whatsoever passing stranger happens to convey handy correct into the pot. One of my favorite things to brand is soup, too although i time inwards a blueish Luna I follow a recipe, to a greater extent than oft than non I simply throw whatever I convey correct into the pot. And Voila, I convey stone soup. Sometimes it's vegetarian, sometimes it's not, too sometimes it has rice, or barley or quinoa. It almost ever has beans. It is a inexpensive too slow agency to convey meals throughout the week. I unremarkably brand a large pot on Lord's Day too swallow it for several days.

Today's stone soup recipe is simply a guideline. If y'all convey the ingredients, great. If not, y'all tin substitute whatsoever bean, rice, pasta or meat y'all want. The substitution is the base. I unremarkably produce the base of operations the same agency too and thence where it goes from at that spot is a surprise to everyone. (I apologize inwards advance for the crappy iPhone photos this week)

Stone Soup

Ingredients for base:
1 tbsp (roughly) olive crude oil (or whatsoever crude oil y'all like, or butter)
1 yellowish onion, diced (Want an slow agency to die an onion? Go HERE)
2 or three or infinity seat out of garlic cloves, minced
three stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced

Ingredients for soup: 
- 2 cups (dry) mixed beans
- iv cups (you may demand more) H2O or chicken stock**
- 1 tin of corn

Optional: 
- 1 loving cup cooked or uncooked quinoa/barley/rice/pasta
- 1 large chicken breast, diced or shredded (or more, or a sausage..)
- Any other veggies y'all convey on hand. Watch out for broccoli though; it tends to overpower the others.

A few notes earlier nosotros start: If y'all are using beans, I unremarkably soak them overnight, or if y'all don't convey the fourth dimension or y'all determine to brand this late, y'all tin role hot H2O too soak for nigh 2 hours, OR don't soak them at all; y'all volition simply convey to ready everything a niggling longer. You tin equally good used canned beans if y'all prefer. Today I used dried mixed beans, which y'all tin purchase pre-packaged. It unremarkably consists of pinto, kidney, black, white, navy, dark eyed peas, lentils, too greenish too yellowish divide peas). If y'all are using canned beans, I would role 2-4 cans, depending on how much soup, or how many dissimilar types of beans y'all want.

For the H2O part, I unremarkably role the edible bean soaking H2O too add together a niggling more. You desire all the ingredients to go covered amongst nigh an inch or ii of extra liquid. It volition ready down. If y'all are using canned beans, function ahead too simply dump the entire tin into the pot, juice too all (if y'all are using dark beans beware, they brand the H2O variety of grey).  You notwithstanding may demand to add together to a greater extent than water. **I am currently using Trader Joes Savory Broth Chicken Flavor which comes inwards a concentrated liquid form. It equally good comes inwards veggie. Or y'all tin role a few bullion cubes if y'all like. The sky's the limit. Most of them are 1 packet to 1 loving cup of water, thence add together accordingly. If y'all role liquid chicken broth, simply role that inwards house of water.

Directions: 

- In a large soup pot, exertion the onion, carrots too celery for nigh five minutes. Then add together the garlic too ready for to a greater extent than or less other five minutes, until the onions function translucent. (a quick how to on sweating veggies)

- Add the chicken (I am unremarkably lazy too desire to "set it too forget it" thence I add together everything all at once. You could equally good add together the chicken nigh the end, i time the beans are done).

- Add the beans, corn too stock/water.

- Cook for nigh 3-5 hours. 

- If y'all are adding uncooked quinoa or other grains, add together them nigh 30- 45 minutes earlier the soup is done.

You could equally good simply dump everything inwards a crock pot inwards the morning time too it would go done yesteryear dinner time! So at that spot y'all convey it, stone soup!

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This week's What I Ate Wed is the traveling lonely version. When I am traveling alone, I tend to swallow to a greater extent than salubrious than if I am amongst mortal else. Maybe because I don't exit to swallow equally much? Here is i of my locomote repast days from Washington DC! Thanks to Jenn for hosting!

 Breakfast: Single serving cereal, Single serving milk, Banana

Lunch: Chipotle Chicken Bowl 

Dinner: 3x yogurt amongst strawberries / Peanut Butter Lara Bar

Snacks: 2x Apple

I ate a lot of that yogurt because I bought the large size too and thence was nigh to leave, thence I decided to simply complete it off for dinner (along amongst a lara bar). And you idea I ate weird stuff... Pshaw.

What weird affair produce y'all swallow when y'all are alone? Do y'all convey a "go to" i pot repast that y'all throw together all the time?