By Nava Atlas, Amberwood Press, 2006

This cookbook's subtitle does contain the “v” word. Vegan. But the real “v” word should be “Variety.” You'll be surprised just how many places you'll go while flipping through the pages.

Author Nava Atlas' love of soup's practical comfort and versatility is relatable to all soup lovers, not just vegans. The idea of cooking with the seasons makes for a nice setup of chapters in the book, and you'll find charming illustrations throughout, along with quaint quotations pulled from antiquity about featured ingredients.

Soups are a popular staple in most onsite accounts and if you are looking for some new recipes to add variety to your rotation, this book can be a great resource. Just a few examples: a Macaroni and Cheese soup made with white beans; a Taco soup; a Brazilian Black Bean Stew, consisting of black beans, sweet potatoes and pepper served over rice; a Greek-Flavored Spinach and Orzo Soup, which features a lemony broth with a kick of dill and parsley.

There is also plenty of global variety: curry soups, Thai soups, and a huge selection of very healthy cold soups like gazpacho.

A new edition of the book is slated for January 2009. Keep an eye out for it.