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

"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 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."

Dollywood, Dolly Parton's 160-acre theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, features menu items connected to the singer's personal life and heritage. Song & Hearth restaurant at Dollywood's DreamMore Resort serves stone soup, a dish rooted in a classic European folktale first published in 1721 by French journalist Madame de Noyer. The story depicts travelers convincing suspicious villagers to contribute ingredients to create soup from a boiling stone. Parton's family adapted this concept into a real-life comfort food during her childhood. Her mother would prepare stone soup when Parton or her 11 siblings needed emotional support, having the child select a stone from the yard to add to the pot as a symbolic gesture of care and attention.

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