Notes about Recipes in this book

• Ribollita

  • robin_gemtnj on March 11, 2026

    I was not a fan of this version of the soup. I felt it was lacking in flavor. Needed more savory and umami boost. Could have used some tomato sauce or paste. Without the savory foil, the sweet potato came off too sweet. If I was to make it again I’d leave out the sweet potato for double the carrot.

• Tomato and quinoa soup

  • CookingwithJoy on March 03, 2026

    Good flavor and consistency!

• Egyptian chickpea and okra stew

  • robin_gemtnj on March 08, 2026

    Though there are many soups in this book I love, this was not one of them. I could the flavor lacking. With only chickpeas and okra as the two textural elements, could have used a third veggie or a grain to round it out.

• Teddy's black bean soup

  • robin_gemtnj on March 11, 2026

    This recipe was average black bean soup. With avocado, hot sauce and corn chips it was good. I have a better recipe I use so this won’t be in my normal rotation.

• Moroccan vegetable stew

  • robin_gemtnj on March 11, 2026

    This recipe got a was pretty good from out rating. I would double the amount of chickpeas.

• Parsi squash stew

  • robin_gemtnj on March 13, 2026

    This soup has a nice Indian flavor pallet of spices, and a nice mix of components with the beans/lentils for protein, vegetables (squash) for carbs, and greens (spinach). So it hits all the meal goals in one, unlike some of the one sided options in this book. When we had it, it was nice to top with a drizzle of plain yogurt and cilantro or micro greens. (Not the prettier to photo)

• Kinda tortilla soup

  • CookingwithJoy on January 25, 2026

    Tasty, comforting. Seemed like it could use a lot more beans. Kind of a lot of work, but not too bad if you don’t mind the dishes.

  • robin_gemtnj on March 11, 2026

    We liked this recipe and will make it again. We doubled the beans and added some cooked soy curls to give more protein and the feel of a chicken tortilla soup. I felt the flavor level was a bit timid, so I’d double all the dried spices next time. We like topping with cabbage or slaw mix, avocado and corn chip crumbs.

• Hoppin' John

  • robin_gemtnj on April 25, 2026

    I do like the base of this recipe but I found the seasonings could use a boost and that it was too brothy to be called Hoppin John

• Gumbo z'herbes

  • robin_gemtnj on March 11, 2026

    This recipe was okay but needed more savory flavor boost so I ended up adding some soy sauce, miso and bit of tomato paste. And then for more protein adding tempeh bacon added broth flavor and texture.

• Louisiana red bean soup

  • margot_672qx8 on March 29, 2026

    One of my favorite soup dinners. I like to top it with a fried egg.

• Broccoli and rice soup

  • jdiedrichs on December 30, 2025

    Has an interesting nutty taste from the toasted mung beans but kind of bland.

• Farmer's market pistou

  • robin_gemtnj on March 11, 2026

    This recipe was a fine way to use up leftover summer produce. It was good but not great. I also added some chickpeas I had.

• Pumpkin-coconut soup with curry leaves (Instant Pot variation)

  • robin_gemtnj on May 12, 2026

    I love the flavors of pumpkin, curry and coconut. My only issues is that much of the pumpkin/ squash fall apart in the InstantPot. In the future I may try stovetop. I also switched out the water for plain soy milk to boost the creaminess and protein. Then topped with pumpkin seeds, arugula, and roasted chickpeas.

• West African vegetable stew (Instant Pot variation)

  • robin_gemtnj on March 11, 2026

    I loved this recipe and have made it a second time.

  • robin_gemtnj on March 11, 2026

    I loved this recipe enough to make it a second time before making another recipe. I often add roasted chickpeas as a topping.

• Harira (Instant Pot variation)

  • robin_gemtnj on April 26, 2026

    I loved the rice and bean mix in this soup, but like with many of the recipes in this book the flavor was lacking and weak. To doctor the first batch of soup I’ve added dashes of pre-made spice blends like Tandoori or Chat Masala to give a bowl an instant boost. Next time I make it, I’ll add in cumin, smoked paprika, and harissa as other recipes have suggested.

• Chunky garden vegetable stew (Instant Pot variation)

  • robin_gemtnj on March 08, 2026

    This soup was in my personal liked but not loved category. With the mix of vegetables there were a mix of textures, though I like grew beans more crisp. Personally the flavor was fun but needed jazzing up with some chili to hot sauce. Will make again when there are odds and ends form the vegetable garden but won’t seek this recipe out as regular make.