The Soup Club Cookbook ~ Review

The Soup Club Cookbook
by: Courtney Allison, Tina Carr, Caroline Laskow, Julie Peacock

ISBN: 978-0-7704-3462-5

$15.62 (paperback)
$11.84 (kindle)

About the book:
Food-sharing is the hot new thing in the "getting dinner on the table" conversation, and in The Soup Club Cookbook, four busy moms share not only their formula for starting a soup club--which gives you at least three meals every month when you don't have to worry about dinner--but also 150 fantastic recipes for soups and sides and storing tips for stretching those meals across the week.

Soup is forgiving, versatile, and perfect for sharing; it can be spiced to taste, topped elaborately or not at all, and dressed up or down. It travels well and reheats beautifully.  The Soup Club Cookbook also has dozens of tips for cooking in quantity and for tailoring soup to individual tastes and needs. Here, too, are simple guidelines for starting your own soup club, anecdotes, and a few cautionary tales that will inspire anyone to share food and eat well. 
 
Recipes include quick and easy's, classics, twist on favorites, and dozens of flavor-rich new crowd pleasers:  

   • Carrot Coconut and Chicken Chili, 
   • Senegalese Peanut Soup 
   • Faux Ramen 
   • Red Lentil Curry Soup 
   • Potato Cheddar Soup 
   • Sun Dried Tomato Soup 
   • Jeweled Rice Salad 
   • Cheddar Cornbread, 
   • Summer Corn Hash 
   • Soy Simmered Chicken Wings

My thoughts:
The title of this book intrigued me. Who wouldn't love to have dinner delivered to them at least 3 times a month by a friend? That's NO cooking, No shopping, NO asking "What the heck am I going to make TONIGHT???? The soup club is similar to a Freezer Cooking Party where several friends get together and prepare 10 recipes to throw into the freezer for another day. The difference is that with the soup club everyone makes up a soup recipe, jars it up and then everyone who wants to try that soup gets to take one home - its ALREADY MADE! The hostess can serve a light snack or one of the recipes from the cookbook for a luncheon.

Personally I think it would be better to can the soups in Pint or Quart Jars so they can be kept on the pantry shelf - however, if I planned on eating them up in the next week then I could just put them in the fridge & then use other containers to package up the rest for the freezer....  

The recipes are healthy, using many ingredients that you can get from your garden, the local farmer's market or your grocery store. I did like that the cookbook isn't limited to just soups but also includes side dishes, rolls, salads, veggies. The downside to the cookbook is: The recipes are large - so if you are a small family & not participating in a Soup Club be prepared to possibly need to freeze some, 1/2 a recipe, share with friends or have company. You'll need a large Stock Pot and possibly an immersion blender and some have lots of ingredients. Always remember, with soups it's hard to ruin a recipe - if you are missing an ingredient likely you can substitute or leave it out. Don't be afraid to have fun with this and try something new. =D

The Soup Club Cookbook would be ideal for a new cook, a wedding gift - even Mother's Day. I'd even suggest a copy of the book with a basket full of the veggies to make one of the recipes as a hostess gift or a birthday gift. Another idea: the soups could be prepared for shut ins, families with a new baby - or perhaps someone that needs a little Tender Loving Care.

Free Recipes available: There are several recipes from The Soup Club Cookbook posted on Amazon - Click here to find one you'd like to try!

Note: Due to the beauty of this book and the detailed recipes I highly suggest you treat yourself to an actual copy of this book. Unless you have an iPad or large notepad/laptop you will find it very hard to utilize the recipes and actually read this book. It's very detailed, some of the recipes you will have to refer to many times while cooking and the pictures, color detail and sketches in the book only add to the enjoyment you'll find with reading this particular cookbook.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review. Regardless I only recommend products or services I have personally read or used & think my readers will enjoy.