Book Review

Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons
by Nava Atlas
Review by Cathe Olson

Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons is the fourth edition of Nava's book previously titled Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons. It is essentially the same book as the third edition, but with the color photos added along with the new cover. It is substantially different from the first two editions.

I am a total soup nut so I was very excited to try this one. I hadn't seen any of the previous editions but I'm a big fan of Nava's other cookbooks. This certainly lived up to my expectations. Like all of Nava's cookbooks, the recipes in this book were easy to make, used simple ingredients that I typically have in my pantry, and, most importantly, my family loved them.

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The recipes are arranged by seasons, which is a really nice feature since we try to eat local, seasonal foods. It being January when I got the book, I turned straight to the winter soups and found several just perfect for a rainy winter suppers. The first soup I tried was the Three Bean Soup with Brown Rice. Well, actually it was only two bean soup (kidney and cannellini) because I didn't have any frozen green beans. I did have kale though so we still got the green in there. My daughters had bowl after bowl of this hearty tomato-based soup and I ended up with no leftovers for lunch the next day.

The second soup we tried was the Hearty Winter Roots Soup. This was a wonderful mash of potatoes, carrots, rutabagas, and parsnips in a creamy, cheesy soup. Another hit with the family. The third dish we tried was the Vegetarian Goulash'a great "meat" (seitan) and potatoes stew that reminded me of the Sunday dinners my mom made when I was growing up-except without the meat of course.

I can't wait to cook my way through the rest of the seasons. This spring, I'm looking forward to Asparagus and Spinach Soup, Leek and Mushroom Bisque, and Puree of Spring Greens. In the heat of the summer, I can try one of the many cold soups offered like Cream of Lettuce Soup, Classic Gazpacho, or Minted Peach Soup. Next fall (if I can wait that long), I'm dying to try the Baked Onion Soup, New England Clam-less Chowder, and Pumpkin-Apple Soup. In addition to soups, there's a lovely selection of breads, muffins, biscuits and scones. My daughters and I had a blast making Chapatis.

If you love soup or are looking for each meals for your family, this is definitely a good cookbook for you. Buy Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons Now!

Cathe Olson is the author of the new nondairy ice cream cookbook: Lick It! Cream Dreamy Vegan Ice Cream Your Mouth Will Love, as well as Simply Natural Baby FoodSimply Natural Baby Food and The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook. Visit Cathe's Web site at www.simplynaturalbooks.com and her blog at http://catheolson.blogspot.com.

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