Customer Reviews

Ultimate Soup Bible

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

My wife loves soups and I bought this for her for Christmas. I didn't know how it would be but thought we'd give it a try. She's since made 3 soups and they've all been FANTASTIC! Ironically, the first two soups she made were ones I thought I'd hate - Italian Pea and Basil Soup (I hated the canned pea soup my parents served as a child) and Creamy Beet Soup (I also hated beets as a child) but both were absolutely delicious. And... the soups taste so fresh when you prepare them. She just made the Roasted Root Vegetable Soup which was also fantastic. Now she makes a big batch of soup each weekend and we eat it during the week as well. Many of the soups are vegetarian (I'm not one) which makes them very healthy.

I highly recommend this book.

One of my favorite cookbooks.

From the Publisher

This lavishly illustrated volume is the ultimate guide to soup-making, with mouthwatering recipes from around the world. A mixture of traditional classics and exciting new ideas, there is something for every taste, diet and occasion, from hearty one-pot meals to elegant entertaining.

The book opens with an essential guide to soup ingredients, flavorings, techniques and equipment. This is followed by instructions for making your own basic stocks, thickening soups and making creative garnishes.

The recipe section has easy-to-follow step by-step instructions and photographs, with a glorious picture of each finished dish. The soups are divided into chapters according to their style and ingredients: chilled, light and refreshing, hot and spicy, creamy vegetable, chunky vegetable, winter warming, legume, pasta, noodle, tofu, chicken and duck, meat, fish, shellfish, egg and cheese, traditional country soups, one-pot meals and soups for entertaining.

Great soup recipes from around the world include Avgolemono and Bouillabaise from the Mediterranean, Irish Brotchan Foltchep and Scotch Broth from the British Isles, Thai classics such as Cellophane Noodle Soup and Chiang Mai Noodle Soup, chilled Spanish Gazpacho and fiery Malaysian Laksa Lemak.

Content:

I like the book. It has a huge variety of soups arranged by type (light and fresh, winter warming, meat based, noodle based, etc.); a chapter on what various ingredients do to the flavor, how to use them, how to choose them, and how to store them; suggestions for thickening; explanation of techniques; and more. The index has soups listed by ingredients, it's really handy. As for the recipes themselves, an initial browse through shows that most are not too difficult (though some are). There are some which made me drool instantly, some I'd make with a slight alteration, some I'm not sure of but might consider, and some I would never ever touch. That last category is actually pretty small, though, and would probably exist with any recipe collection. They seem pretty healthy, too, which was one of my main motivations for wanting a soup book. There are some that strike me as odd but they use healthy ingredients in ways I've not heard of so I'm willing to give them a try. I happen to already have most of the spices and kitchen equipment, but after buying those things I think these soups could be affordable. Fresh veg can be expensive, but when you make a large batch it would feed for several meals or even freeze. You'll definitely need at least an immersion blender, which aren't too pricey.

Value for price:

I got mine used because the price seemed a bit high as new. There IS quite a lot of valuable information, but several of the soups are similar and it's not like they're rare recipes. I'm glad I bought it, I keep randomly perusing it and wanting to make so many of the soups immediately. But, I'd say buy it as "like new" or "very good" instead of new.

I highly recommend this Soup Bible and refer to it regularly. The wide range of tastes and ingredients promises healthy eating pleasure.

I really love this book because there are very unique recipes, international flavors, creamed specialties, broth-based creations, and vegetable novelties. I can feed any mood, occasion, and discerning palate with the variety present in this book and I can find something to make for any vegetable in its season.

did not get my book.your seller sent me "john lennon".i am now in process of remailing wronj book,after waiting one month,to hopefully get my money back.seller does not have book i wanted.terrible experience,never again.