Saturday, October 13, 2012

Weekend Cooking: Soup of the Day

The Cookbook Challenge that I am hosting, also offers an oppertunity to look into the cookbooks on my virtual shelf. I picked up this soup cookbook from that shelf to finally make some recipes from.

Title: Soup of the Day
Author: Kate McMillan
Publisher: Weldon Owen
Release date: January 2012
Length: 304 pages
I got this book: For review through NetGalley

Summary:
From Goodreads:
"Williams-Sonoma Soup of the Day offers a tantalizing collection of 365 soup recipes: one for each day of the year. Colorful calendars at the beginning of each chapter offer an at-a-glance view of the dishes best suited for the ingredients, occasions, and typical weather of the month. From January to December, you’ll find a seasonal soup that will satisfy any craving, and match any meal ranging from a quick weeknight supper to an elegant dinner party. A handful of the recipes are even appropriate for the holiday table, while others are perfect for using up a leftover roast or chicken. Notes accompanying each recipe offer ideas for ingredient variations, garnishes, and other helpful tips. All of the soups can be dressed up or dressed down; served in rustic earthenware mugs or on heirloom china; garnished with a flourish of fried herbs or dollop of pesto, or stripped down to the bare, tasty essentials—the possibilities are endless, but always delicious."

Personal opinion:
I just love soup! That is why this cookbook was calling to me and I just had to check it out. I am so glad I did because when only leafing through, I bookmarked many recipes already that I want to try. I first tried making my own fresh soups during last fall and ever since homemade soup is a regular on the menu here. This book is perfect for soup lovers because it offers such variation. Another plus is that this is a seasonal cookbook. I really like that because it helps you picking veggies that are in season and that is always a good thing. The cookbook is very basic with easy and quick recipes, just the way I like it.

There aren't pictures with every recipe, but still there are plenty of full page pictures in this book. This book offers a good variation of recipes and is also a good option for vegetarians. There are many vegetarian soups on the menu and a lot others are easily adapted. Vegans might have a harder time though. But for vegetarians: this is as vegetarian friendly as normal cookbooks get. I expect that this book will become one of my favorites very quickly.

Purchase links: The Book Depository
Challenges: Foodies reading challenge, Cookbook challenge.
Other reviews: Beth's Book-Nook Blog,
If you have reviewed this book and want your link here, please leave a comment with the link, and I will add it :)

And now of course a recipe that I slightly adapted from this book:


Roasted red bell pepper and tomato soup: (serves 4)

- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 spring onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 875 canned diced tomatoes (including juices)
- 2 roasted red bell peppers, chopped (or about 3 canned)
- some heavy cream
- 3 bay leaves (optional)

Heat the butter and oil in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook shortly until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and let it simmer, uncovered for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove the bay leaves and puree the soup with a handheld blender. Add cream and bring the soup to a boil. Remove from heat, add some salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Vegan option: Use plant based butter and soy cream.

This post is part of Weekend Cooking hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Please take a look for your next food inspiration! Also part of the Cookbook Challenge hosted by myself. You can sign up here!




16 comments:

  1. I'd buy that book for its pretty cover ;) I've got a vegan soup book that I use occasionally, but adapting soups is usually not the biggest problem.

    Your soup looks tasty! I often make a red bell pepper & tomato soup. Sometimes I add in fennel or carrot. When I'm in a hurry, I use canned tomato, but using fresh ones doesn't cost a lot of time. The cream can be easily omitted, which I usually do, because - in my opinion - it makes the soup too heavy.

    What is your next soup project from this book? :)

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    1. I like my soups heavy because I just eat them as a main meal with bread on the side. So heavy and filling is good then :) I like fresh tomatoes but only in the summer. The current tomatoes are much more watery and less flavourful.

      I have several soups marked. Like a curried Leek and apple soup, vegetables in coconut lime broth, cream of spinach soup, red cabbage and apple soup, potato-rosemary soup and butternut soup with pears. And I haven't even looked at the spring and summer sections much ;)

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  2. I agree--I would totally buy this book. I love soup, and I'm still looking for the perfect homemade tomato soup recipe. This one sounds really good, with the added flavor of the red bell pepper.

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  3. Oh, nice! I also love soups, the thicker and creamier the better, :). Sounds like the perect soup cook book.

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  4. I love soups and 365 days of them would be a nice thing! Your red pepper soup looks delicious.

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  5. I too could eat soup every single day. In fact I made soup last night! Williame-Sanoma cookbooks are always reliable. I have some farm-fresh peppers in the house, I think I'll roast them this week and try this soup. It looks perfect for these cool nights.

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  6. I love soup and could eat it every day, too! Once the weather turns cool, I always have some in the refrigerator just waiting to be warmed. There are several recipes I use all the time, but a Williams-Sonoma cookbook would definitely provide some fresh inspiration.

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  7. I love soup too and am always looking for new recipes. (I have some Pumpkin Soup with Chili Cran-Apple Relish just waiting for me in the frig for lunch.) I'll have to keep my eyes out for this book.

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  8. Must look for this book! Love soup season. Thanks for sharing this recipe :).

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  9. Your roasted red pepper and tomato soup looks amazing. Such a great recipe for cooler days.

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  10. I love soup, and I love that it's soup season. I'm a fan of roasted red pepper, and this combination looks delicious! Will have to make it soon. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

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  11. I just love soup and have a friend who likes it just a much. This is a definite book for the Christmas list and that soup may just get made this weekend. Thanks for posting this recipe.

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  12. it is soup time! I love the look of that one on the cover.

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  13. Oh, I used to have a recipe similar to this but then I lost it! I might have to give this one a try.

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  14. I'm always tempted by soup cookbooks but don't buy them because I tend to make soup to use up whatever I have in the house, I don't set out to make a specific kind of soup. This book does look really nice though!

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  15. I have declared a halt to buying cookbooks for now but will look for this one at the library. The pureed red pepper sounds like a tasty ingredient.

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