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Hey everybody, it's MaryL.

Do y'all remember the story Stone Soup?

It's a European folk tale that starts with some hungry people and an empty pot.

They put a stone at the bottom and decide to make a soup out of it.

Then, little by little, other villagers walk by and add ingredients.

You know, this one's got some carrots, another one has chicken, this one's got salt.

Next thing you know, they've got a soup.

Now, as far as folk tales go, this is actually a pretty realistic one.

You don't have to really follow a strict formula when it comes to soup.

That's why it's like one of those really fun things to start cooking with.

And it's all about like tasting all along the way and adjusting.

Sola El-Waley is a chef and the author of Start Here,

instructions for becoming a better cook.

And she says you kind of can make a soup out of anything.

You might be like, oh, is this broccoli going to work with this wilted parsley

and then somehow you let it simmer for 20 minutes and it's like it was meant to be.

Sola's a new mother and she's been making a lot of soup lately.

Because it's an easy thing to make one-handed with whatever you've got.

Also, she says soup is the perfect communal dish, especially on a chilly day.

You know, like a big bubbling cauldron on fire and everyone's gathered around it.

And soup kind of gives you that vibe.

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