by POPSUGAR Food 8

Although I've always been a fan of eating soup year-round, now that the weather has cooled down a bit, soup is a regular part of my meal rotation. That was my logic behind acquiring Williams-Sonoma Soup ($16.95). To see my thoughts on the cookbook, read more.

Pros:

• Ingredient measurements include other measuring system equivalents: A recipe calling for dried black beans, specifies that 2 cups equals 14 ounces or 440 grams.
• In addition to a full-page picture, each recipe contains an added bonus: a tip with a corresponding picture, pertaining to the recipe.
• The back of the book has helpful information like stock recipes, basics of making soup, garnish options, a glossary, and an index.

Cons:

• The recipes are written in paragraph form, but could have been written in easier-to-follow steps.
• Helpful details such as cooking time or nutritional facts would have made a big difference.

Recipes: Some of the recipes call for gourmet ingredients that one may not typically have on hand, such as kombu seaweed flakes, tawny Port, or Thai red curry paste. I flagged the following recipes to make at home:

• Classics — New England Clam Chowder
• Simple Soups — Puree of Vegetable Soup, Broccoli-Leek Soup
• Dinner Party Soups — Three-Mushroom Soup With Sherry, Mussels Mariniere
• Winter Soups — Black Bean Soup With Salsa Crema, Provence-Style Fish Stew
• Chicken Soups — Avgolemono, Thai-Style Curried Chicken Soup

Imagery: The images are abundant and appetizing.

Overall Rating: I'm a huge fan of this book, which contains lots of staple soup recipes. If you're already a soup whiz with an expansive recipe collection, this book may not be for you, but if you're on the market for a soup cookbook, this affordable book could just be the one. Have you checked it out yet?