Winter is not my favorite season, but it does have its charms. The luxury of cars with heated seats and heated steering wheels, for example. Kids wearing so much winter gear that they look like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Coming into a warm house with rosy cheeks from an outdoor walk. Seeing a cat shake out each paw after walking through the snow, or a dog go completely crazy with snow zoomies. These are all small joys of the season.
However, my favorite joy of the season is soup. Sssooooouuuuuuppppppppp. Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm. This winter’s goal is to find at least 2 go-to recipes for soup or chowder using fish. I’m not there yet, but I still have about two months - and tens of cookbooks - to go.
Most recipe books have a chapter on soups and stews, or at least a few soup recipes, so don’t forget to check out cookbooks from different regions, or catering to specific dietary needs. Here are a decade’s worth of cookbooks that put soup in the spotlight:
- Vegan Soups and Stews for All Seasons by Nava Atlas - this revised and updated edition separates soups by season, using the fresh produce available in that season. (2024)
- Every Season is Soup Season by Shelly Westerhausen - includes instructions for batching and freezing as well as adaptation for Instant Pot and slow cookers. (2023)
- 101 Greatest Soups on the Planet by Erin Mylroie - described as “the only soup cookbook you will ever need”. (2022)
- The Oregon Farm Table Cookbook by Karista Bennett - contains a chapter on Soups & Stews, all of which are focused on ingredients local to Oregon. (2021)
- The Chicken Soup Manifesto by Jenn Louis - James Beard-nominated chef brings chicken soup recipes and know-how from around the world; 100+ recipes. (2020)
- The Soup Book by Sophie Grigson and Amy Slack, eds. - Recipes are organized season- by season, but also by ingredients, and include freezing instructions. (2019)
- Nourish Soups: Hearty Soups with a Healthy Twist by Rebecca Woods - soups with an emphasis on wellbeing, including basic stock recipes and healthy toppings. (2018)
- Easy Soups from Scratch with Quick Breads to Match by Ivy Manning - 70 mix-and- match soups and breads that you can whip up in under an hour! (2017)
- Soup for Syria by Barbara Abdeni Massaad, compiler - soup recipes from around the globe compiled by chefs and cookbook authors; proceeds bring food relief to Syrian refugees. (2016)
- Chowderland: Hearty Soups & Soups with Sides & Salads to Match by Brooke Dojny - 57 chowders with sides, salads, and desserts. (2015)
And for those of you enjoying the opening of the new Trader Joe’s store in Salmon Creek, the library has 3 Trader Joe’s cookbooks:
- The I Love Trader Joe’s Cookbook by Cherie Mercer Twohy (2009)
- The I Love Trader Joe’s Around the World Cookbook by Cherie Mercer Twohy (2011)
- Quick Prep Cooking Using Ingredients from Trader Joe’s by Jordan Zelesnick (2024)
Soup spoons up, everyone!
New at the Library
Fiction
- Remember When by Mary Balogh
- Never Say Never: A Novel by Danielle Steel
- The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight
Nonfiction
- Cone of Shame by Winnie Au
- You Gotta Eat: Real-Life Strategies for Feeding Yourself when Cooking Feels Impossible by Margaret Eby
- I’m Laughing Because I’m Crying: A Memoir by Youngmi Mayer
Children
- Abuela’s Letter by Debbie Zapata
- Minecraft Maps: Unofficial Gamer Guide by Zelda Wagner
- Cinderella and the Beast (or, Beauty and the Glass Slipper) by Kim Bussing
