Amazon.com Review
Is It Soup Yet? has something to please everyone, from hearty Hamburger Soup for the meat-and-potatoes crowd to elegant Wild Rice and Shiitake Mushroom Soup for gourmets. Included in the 118 recipes are classics like Corn Chowder, Tomato Rice, and Seafood Gumbo, and adventures like Cream of Brie and Leek Soup. One chapter is devoted to soups made in 20 minutes, another to using a crock pot, and yet another to soups made from leftovers such as baked beans or spaghetti and meatballs.

This book has a mixed personality. Cooks in a hurry will be comfortable with some of Vartan's sensible shortcuts, such as using frozen vegetables or canned broth in some recipes. However, her use of garlic powder and parsley flakes may not sit well with more-refined cooks.

Some of the very best soups in this book are international choices like Chinese Sizzling Rice and a German Sauerkraut Soup. There are also highly creative recipes, including an Eggplant Ratatouille, Potato with Horseradish, and Chicken Passarelli, which contains bread-crumb dumplings.

Cheerful illustrations by Shelly Reeves Smith, a greeting-card designer, help make Is It Soup Yet? a bright and breezy cooking companion. --Dana Jacobi