The Soup Club Cookbook: Feed Your Friends, Feed Your Family, Feed Yourself

I got this book about 2 months ago. I wanted to make a few of the recipes before I published a review. I have now made 18 of the recipes, loved every single one of them, and would make them all again. I sent copies of this book as Christmas gifts to my friends that like to cook. These recipes make A LOT of soup. Usually more than 8 quarts. My 12 quart stock pot was not big enough. You will need at least a 14-quart pot. Here is a list of the recipes I have made: Amanda's Grilled Cheese Croutons -- so easy, so delicious. Love them with roasted broccoli soup. An absolute MUST for Winter Minestrone. Parsley-Dill Gremolata -- a must for the roasted asparagus soup. I keep some on hand now for topping chicken, too. Herbed Queso Fresco -- Excellent. I love it on both the Chicken Tortilla Soup and Beck Chicken Chili. Crème Frâiche -- I love making my own. It's more economical and tastes better. Rounds out roasted broccoli, roasted asparagus, roasted parsnip, and even black bean soup nicely. Cuban Black Bean Soup -- another winner. Dill Butter -- I sent some home with my mom a few weeks ago. Now I have to make some for her every week. Potato Leek Soup -- my husband's absolute, unmitigated, unrivaled favorite. I have a batch on the stove right now. MAKE THE LEEK STOCK. It only takes a little extra time but the results are well worth the effort. Roasted Broccoli Soup -- pretty much the only way I'll eat broccoli. Get a nice sharp cheddar, like Boar's Head, for grating on it. Roasted Asparagus Soup -- I have one word written next to this recipe in the book. "Divine." Roasted Parsnip Soup -- Parsnippety good! Sweeter than I expected. My husband and I had fun peeling the parsnips together. Sunchoke Soup -- sunchokes can be hard to find, and expensive, but oh my gosh this soup is fantastic. This is my favorite recipe. Winter Corn Chowder -- Definitely use the charred jalapeños. This is a great, hearty, filling soup. Filipino Healing Soup -- Caroline is a soup goddess. This soup is pretty spicy right out off of the stovetop, but by the next day the flavors have melded and mellowed into pure comfort in a bowl. Chicken Tortilla Soup -- Mom's favorite. A surefire crowd pleaser. Beck Chicken Chili -- The first time I made this, I ate nothing else for three days. Caldo Verde -- I meant to freeze half the batch of this soup, but didn't get the chance. My family devoured it in just a few days. Kale Chips -- a must for Sunchoke Soup and snacks. Chive-Studded Chèvre -- you'll make this with the pure and honest intention of sharing with your friends, but then you'll take a bite. And another. And another. It's okay, they weren't that good of friends anyway. Black Olive Shortbread -- Saving the best for last. I don't like olives but I LOVE this shortbread.

What a great idea in our oh-so-busy world! I can't imagine having dinner delivered to me without having to leave a great tip! FYI, I live about 10 miles from town, so nobody delivers unless they know they are going to get gas money!! This little book is packed with not just great soup recipes and the recipes for all the extras needed to make the meal complete (i.e. croutons, creme fraiche, flavored toppings, etc.). That's not the end, though! It tells you WHAT to pack for delivery and also, for the recipient, what to do to serve the meal. And if you are hesitant in the kitchen, the recipes start from their beginning (easy bean soups) to the meat-based soups, including my favorite Italian Wedding Soup. BUT WAIT!! There are recipes for salads, dressings, side dishes, BREADS, and other yummies that the ladies share from their families. They seek out grandma's secrets to share with us before those secrets are lost forever. Reading the conversational notes for each recipe brings it to life. UNDERSTAND THIS!! The soup recipes all make EIGHT QUARTS! That's a lot of soup. So if you don't have a soup club ready to go, get ready to do some math. Or donate the extra to your local homeless shelter. Or just give it away to a lonely soul somewhere. Whatever makes you feel good, since that's what soup is all about: feeling warm inside.

I like this book and the recipes. I also think the idea of a soup club is wonderful. I love community based books and visions. However, if you are also a visual picture reader, meaning you like to see what some of the recipes look like, this doesn't have them. Though the drawing are super cute, I prefer color pictures of the finished product I'm attempting to make.

I have made 5 of the recipes and they were all very good. I would have liked to have seen a section on freezing soup. I get that the book is about sharing the soup you make but a section on freezing would have been a nice addition. I found different ways to share. I took one batch to work and another to a booster club meeting. There are some high-end ingredients required. That was a negative for me personally. I want to be able to get everything I need from a basic grocery store and not have things cost a small fortune. Thanks : )

Real recipes, real cooks. The tagline on the front, "Feed your friends. Feed your family. Feed yourself." perfectly explains this wonderful cookbook written by 4 friends. You will have fun reading, cooking, and preparing to make any of the recipes here. Will you use this cookbook if you buy it? Yes. And in the best ways-- the recipes are good and accurate. They have clear instructions (cook until translucent, for example, or cook until cabbage begins to wilt, about 7 minutes). They have ways to riff on the theme, suggestions of what to add. Comments about cooking 1/2 the recipe so you don't end up with a leftover 1/2 can of coconut milk. They are practical and delicious. You will also have fun reading the book. All the recipes are interspersed with stories about the cooks, the meals, the process.

This may well be my all time favorite cookbook. These women know the secrets of wonderful soup, the kind that nourishes body and soul. Had no problem cutting recipes in half: keep two quarts for myself, give two quarts away. People love it! So far, my favorite is the red lentil curry, which cooked in less than half an hour. I followed the recipe exactly, even though I thought "that's too much ginger." It wasn't, it was just right. I have both the Kindle and a hard copy, both have advantages. The add on recipes that are included are a real bonus. I've owned 6 or 7 cookbooks dedicated to soups, but this is the clear winner, I can recycle the others. Buy this book, you won't be disappointed.

Attractively written

Very good recipes. Have tried some and will try more.

Very happy with this cookbook, the recipes are easy to make with ingredients that are not hard to find. I would recommend it to any soup lover.

Beautifully written, reliable recipes.