Dolly Parton's Cheap, Feel-Good Childhood Soup Is Still Served At Her Theme Park

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Dolly Parton's theme park, Dollywood, is located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee – just a little over 10 miles from the iconic singer's birthplace of Locust Ridge. The 160-acre theme park is known for its roller coasters and live music as much as its Southern-style dining, and much of the food served at the park was chosen because of its connection to Parton herself. One menu item in particular may seem strange at first glance, but inexpensive, feel-good stone soup was a childhood favorite in Parton's family home.

Song & Hearth, a restaurant in Dollywood's DreamMore Resort, features stone soup on the menu. The idea of stone soup originates from a classic European folktale that was first committed to page by French journalist Madame de Noyer and published in 1721. The story has been popularized in children' s books since, including a 1947 "Stone Soup" book by Marcia Brown, a 1986 picture book by Ann McGovern, and a 2003 children's book by Jon J. Muth. Strangers traveling through a village post-war seek food from the villagers, who are suspicious and don't want to help. However, the travelers then convince the villagers they can make soup from boiling a stone in water, and one-by-one the intrigued villagers gradually add ingredients until the pot is filled with flavorful soup.

Parton's family created their own real-life version of this fabled soup when she was growing up. She recounts the origins of her family's Stone Soup in her 1994 memoir, "Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business." She recalled her mother making stone soup whenever Parton or one of her 11 siblings was feeling down and needed a pick-me-up. Parton's mother would tell her kids to go out to the yard and pick out a stone, and she would then choose the stone of the child who needed a little extra TLC that day to add to the family's stone soup.

Despite its clever name, stone soup isn't actually just a soup made from rocks. As illustrated in its namesake folktale, it's actually more like an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink soup. Making this soup is a chance to use up vegetables and other ingredients that are a little past their prime and might otherwise go bad. 

To make the Dolly Parton version of stone soup, you'll need a small, clean stone as well as chicken or vegetable broth, potatoes or pasta, an onion, garlic, salt and pepper, a can of diced tomatoes, and the vegetables of your choice. The best ones to use are cabbage, carrots, green beans, peas, corn, red or green bell peppers, and celery. Saute the onion and garlic in a stock pot with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add diced celery and bell pepper and cook over low heat until the veggies get soft.

Then add stock and diced tomatoes along with the rest of the veggies and the clean stone. You can add cooked chunks of chicken, beef, or ham at this point as well. Let everything come to a boil, and then simmer the soup for about an hour. At this point, add diced potatoes and any other firm root vegetables like turnips and carrots. Let it simmer for another hour or so and then add pasta and more delicate vegetables like peas, corn, and green beans. Continue simmering until the veggies are tender and hot. Season the soup to your liking and serve it with Dolly Parton's easy, Southern-style cornbread or light, fluffy buttermilk biscuits.