In the Stone Soup story, a traveler comes to a village, hungry and carrying only an empty pot. When he asks the villagers for food, everyone refuses, saying they have nothing to spare.
So the traveler fills his pot with water, drops in a stone, and begins to cook it in the town square. Curious villagers gather, and he tells them he’s making stone soup — though it would taste even better with just a little something extra, like a carrot or potato.
One by one, the villagers bring what they can — vegetables, herbs, and seasoning — until the pot is full of a rich, delicious soup that everyone shares together.
In the end, the traveler quietly removes the stone and smiles, having shown the villagers that by working together and sharing what they have, they can create abundance from scarcity.
The traveler’s story may be old, but its message feels more timely than ever. In a world where groceries cost more, paychecks stretch less, and many quietly go without, the idea of everyone bringing just a little to make something good for all is powerful.
Stone Soup isn’t really about a pot or a recipe — it’s about community, creativity, and care. When we each add what we can, we turn scarcity into enough.
That’s the spirit behind this project: simple meals, shared effort, and the reminder that we’re still better — and stronger — together.
Sign up your group and be ready for the first week's recipe
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You can still join us at any time!
Share the cost of groceries and create hearty meals as a community.
YOU can join us with your own Stone Soup Troop from any location and at your convenience. Gather a group of friends, neighbors or family who will meet once per week.
Designate a group leader to receive the emails from the Stone Soup admin. Each Sunday, your group leader will receive an email with that week's recipe and shopping list. The recipes are designed to have limited ingredients so that each participant need only bring a few simple ingredients. You divide up the shopping list among your participants, and then each person brings their assigned ingredients when the group meets to cook.
Meet once a week, at your convenience. Everyone contributes their ingredients and the group follows the recipe - either the written copy emailed to you or follow us on YouTube. At the end of the cook, each participant takes home a full dinner that will feed up to five.


Making a Shepherd’s Pie for one family costs about $30. But when five families cook together and share the ingredients, each spends only about $17 — saving around 45% per meal.
Bulk cooking and shared costs make hearty homemade dinners far more affordable for everyone.
— Traditional retelling of Stone Soup
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