Are you thinking about renovating your kitchen? Doing research on countertop materials? If so, then our Countertop Spotlight series will help you. Today we look at the pros and cons of soapstone countertops: Origin: Soapstone is a natural stone, like granite, that is quarried. It’s composed mostly of mineral talc, which makes it quite soft, but soapstone used for countertops typically has higher percentages of quartz in it, which makes it harder and more suitable as a kitchen surface.