The short introduction explains the different types of soup: broth, chowders, purées, bisques, veloutés, potages and consommés, and then considers homemade stocks, providing recipes for these various stocks. It also looks at stock cubes and ready made stocks along with a few further points including a some finishing touches.

The soup recipes are listed under the headings: speedy soups, chilled soups, winter warmers, something special, healthy soups and around the world. The format is the same as other books in the series, that is each recipe has a double page, with the ingredients and instructions on one page with a full colour picture of the finished soup on the facing page. The range of recipes is wide, varied and interesting. Many of the soups are quite substantial and could serve as a meal in themselves.

There is much to appeal here, from very simple soups to some quite exotic or luxurious. From tomato and balsamic vinegar soup to luxuries such as chestnut soup with truffle oil and which includes brandy and pheasant (or beef) stock. Just to mention a few other interesting soups at random: apple and celery soup, gingered cauliflower soup, pumpkin, orange and star anise soup, beer broth with mini meatballs, honey roast parsnip soup, smoked aubergine and tomato soup, chilled almond and grape soup, seafood gumbo, scallop and broccoli broth, Caribbean pepper pot soup, summer vegetable soup, salmon and tarragon sabayon, five-spice duck soup with pak choi, Ghanaian groundnut soup - its difficult to know where to stop!

The preparation times vary from a few minutes up to around a hour for a few, and cooking times vary similarly. I do think some of the preparation times given are rather optimistic (but then this is a criticism that can be levelled at a number of cook books). But at the price it is hard to fault this little book, so many fascinating recipes. ( )