Photo: Hyperion

'A Beautiful Bowl of Soup: The Best Vegetarian Recipes'
by Paulette Mitchell
Photos by William Meppem
Chronicle Books-- 2004
Buy it on Amazon

A good bowl of soup is a wondrous thing, providing a warmth and satisfaction that only well-executed comfort food can supply. And "A Beautiful Bowl of Soup: The Best Vegetarian Recipes" does just that, dishing up a variety of recipes for slurps that are endlessly appealing on both visual and taste levels.

Carnivores, fret not: With soups this flavorful you won't be missing anything. These are soups for all occasions, from a refreshing Chunky Gazpacho for lazy summer suppers, to a Cream of Tomato Soup with Puff Pastry Crowns to end a long, cold day, or even the light Gingered Pear Soup to conclude a rich meal. And, perhaps more notable yet, each and every one boasts flavors so strong and textures so rich that the soups can serve as full meals on their own.

See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.

Takeaway tips: While comfort food is often casual by nature -- mac and cheese, tomato soup, burgers and the like -- Mitchell sees no reason why it shouldn't also be elegant. And her cooking is both refined and complex, boosting traditional recipes with additional herbs, spices and preparations. In her artful renditions, there's more to soup than meets the eye.

Quality of pictures: The amount of pictures is adequate, but perhaps not as numerous as may be desired. But in dishes as appealing as these, quality unanimously beats quantity. The cover alone speaks a thousand words, with the beautiful Wild Rice and Cranberry Soup, in which morsels float alluringly in a vibrant, buttery stew, topped with a few enticing leaves of sage.

We tested: Moroccan Chickpea Soup and Moroccan Red Lentil-Bean Stew

"Inspired by hummus," the Moroccan Chickpea Soup is a hearty stew marrying unexpected flavors -- subtle thyme and fresh parsley meld astonishingly well with ground turmeric and cayenne -- and served with a vibrant Red Pepper Coulis. The texture -- a silky-smooth base of pureed chickpeas -- holds up well with various softened chopped vegetables and herbs, comprising a full, complex mouthfeel matching its variety of flavors.

The Moroccan Red Lentil-Bean Stew is a showstopper, spicing up red lentils, white beans and basmati with a tomato base and herbs aplenty -- saffron, curry, cumin, rosemary, fennel seeds, cilantro and Tabasco -- into a robust stew. Soups this flavorful arguably satisfy as well as any meat-and-potato dish.

Worth the investment: Vegetarians and carnivores alike will cherish this cookbook, which will surely become dog-eared and lovingly worn over the passing seasons.