Cookbook Review: Soup of the Day: 150 Delicious and Comforting Recipes from Our Favorite Restaurants by Ellen Brown

After a week of posts about infertility, some comfort food is in order. Some of my favorite comfort foods are soups and chili, no matter the time of year and most especially when I'm sick. Not only are there so many options to choose from, soup is also easily freezable to save for a rainy day or that craving that randomly kicks in for no apparent reason.

Soup of the Day is a wonderful reference any time of the year when your soup craving kicks in, whether it's a hearty chicken soup when you're feeling under the weather or a light gazpacho to keep you cool in the summer.



I picked this book up off the shelf at my local bookstore because the title caught my attention. I bought it for a few reasons: I love soups and chili, and anytime I have a soup or chili from a restaurant I enjoy I want the recipe so this gives me the chance to try some.

The Cuban Black Bean soup is my favorite so far and the first one I tried because I love black beans, soup, and spicy foods. Because of the cumin and jalapeno peppers, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone with a preference for mild or no spiciness. I initially sought out this recipe because I was specifically looking for a recipe to use up my dry black beans I got at a local farmer's market, but even though the recipe calls for soaking dried beans overnight, I think that canned beans can be used in a pinch. Found in the bean section of the book on page 113, this recipe takes about 30 minutes to prep, in addition to either the hour for quick-soak method or overnight soaking. Cook time is about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until beans are soft. Highly recommend for anyone interested in an easy recipe with some prep.

You will find tips for making great soups in chapter one, recipes for breads and rolls in chapter nine, and many delicious soup recipes in between. This book covers the meat lovers soups, vegetarian fares, seafood, and seasonally appropriate dishes. All kinds of taste palates will find something to love.

Published by Running Press and available in paperback from your local bookstore, or paperback and kindle through Amazon.