VEGETARIAN SOUPS FOR ALL SEASONS by Atlas, Nava - 1996

Little, Brown and Company, 1996. Paperback. Good. Soup of the evening, beautiful soup!" sang Mock Turtle, to which Atlas (Ve getariana) here adds a vegetarian refrain. Recipes for more than 100 savory soups, chowders, bisques, purees and stews are adapted from several differ ent world cuisines; suggested garnishes and basic nutrition analyses per se rving are included. Following two introductory sections outlining stock and broth recipes with soup-making (and freezing) tips, chapters follow the se asons. Gingered Pumpkin-Apple Soup and Southwestern Fresh Corn Stew help us her in fall. The winter section mixes comforting old favorites such as Mine strone with new inventions like Italian Vegetable Stew with Gnocchi and zes ty Taco Soup, with bulgur, pinto beans and chilies. Spring features Greek-F lavored Spinach and Orzo Soup, heady with lemon and fresh dill, and summer serves up Cool Ratatouille, a no-cook Creamy Avocado Soup (made with butter milk instead of cream) and a sweetly refreshing Melon Medley. A final chapt er, "Accompaniments," adds recipes for muffins, breads, scones and dumpling s?even croutons. Atlas's straightforward recipes, enlivened by quotes and d rawings, promise soups of complex, rewarding flavor based on judicious comb inations of ingredients rather than on complicated preparation.