The 30-Minute Vegan

Starred review from December 9, 2013
Mark Reinfeld (The 30 Minute Vegan, The 30 Minute Vegan's Taste of Europe) may be the male equivalent to a vegan Rachael Rayâhis recipes are flavorful and approachable and certainly have the same potential for mass appeal. In his third vegan collection, Reinfeld focuses on soup, showing readers how to prepare over 100 healthy, tasty soups in a short amount of time. Once introduced to Reinfeld's basic stocks (mushroom, roasted vegetable, tamari), readers have a foundation to build on, and will soon be preparing their choice of a wide variety of soups. Reinfeld's enthusiasm for diverse cuisines sets the book apart: Mayan tomato and corn, Thai coconut with lemongrass, Indian chutney stew with tamarind, and Himalayan dal with curried chickpeas are a welcome respite from the gazpachos and avocado soups offered in similar tomes. He's even made room for dessert including recipes for cantaloupe rose soup with blueberry cream or raw chocolate mint soup with raspberries. Omnivores and vegans alike will appreciate the book's breadth and depth, as well as the limited call for esoteric or arcane ingredients. If they can put up with some chopping, they'll find this to be a terrific resource when the urge for a comforting soup hits.