Book Review: The Daily Soup

I’ve owned The Daily Soup by Leslie Kaul and Bob Spiegal since 2005. It was that year that I decided to establish a weekly ‘Souper Saturday’ tradition in our home (wherein we enjoy soup paired salad or sandwiches each Saturday) and so was on the prowl for high quality soup recipes. The Daily Soup has not disappointed. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, the ingredients are easy to source, and the soups that result are delicious. My favorite soup so far from the collection is ‘Roasted Eggplant Parmesan’ (p.29). It’s everything wonderful about traditional eggplant parmesan, ladled into a bowl. There are soups for everyone in this cookbook including vegetarian and dairy free. The recipes are grouped by major ingredient such as corn, tomato, or grain, which is useful when you have specific ingredients you’d like to use and find a recipe to accompany.

One suggestion for this author team or for other authors putting together ~~a soup cookbook~~ any cookbook is to include more pictures of the prepared dishes. While such pictures aren’t absolutely necessary, they add a little something extra to the cookbook and give readers an idea of how the finished dishes should look including hints on garnishing. And of course great pictures also help to sell the book, bring the recipes to life in a very visceral and appetizing format.

I’ve read that the Daily Soup restaurant in NYC from which this cookbook was adapted has since shuttered its doors.That means the only place to try the chefs’ creations is in your own home using The Daily Soup.

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