The 30 Minute Vegan Soup's On! Review and Giveaway

If you're a Hungry Vegan subscriber, then you know that I'm a huge fan Chef Mark Reinfeld's The 30 Minute Vegan series of books.  Every edition (The 30 Minute Vegan, The 30 Minute Vegan's Taste of the East, and The 30 Minute Vegan's Taste of Europe) is a winner, featuring recipes that are so layered in complexity of flavors, it's hard to believe they can be prepared in under an hour, let alone, thirty minutes. The latest installment is called Soup's On, and it's filled with more than 100 quick and easy recipes that will delight every palate. And we're not talking appetizer soups here. We're talking show-stopping dishes that are so nourishing, filling, and satisfying, you'll never think of soup as just the prelude to an entrée again. 

Along with a scrumptious variety of soups and stews, you'll find lots of delicious extras—from Herbed Bread Sticks to Red Pepper Coulis, Soup's On elevates the art of soup making to new culinary heights. While every soup and stew within the pages of Soup's On stands on its own, each recipe comes with suggested variations as well as the perfect accompaniments, so you don't have to guess how to put together an absolutely fabulous meal. Take for example, this sweet and spicy Brazilian Black Bean Soup with Baked Plantain.

Black beans make this sumptuous Latin treat nutritious and hearty. Maple-baked plantain and a bit of freshly squeezed orange juice add a touch of sweetness, and jalapeño and chipotle pepper add a zesty bite. Raw Cashew Crème fraîche counterbalances the heat, and Candied Pepitas add another lovely touch of sweetness and a bit of crunch. 

Mark's Asian-inspired Hot Pot with Soba Noodles, Seared Shiitake Mushrooms and Baby Bok Choy is a heavenly choice on a cold, wet, winter day. Broken down into three simple-to-prepare recipes for Baked Tofu, Seared Shiitake and Baby Bok Choy, and a savory noodle-and-vegetable-infused broth, you'll love how this dish comes together so easily. With clear and concise instructions, it's a breeze to flow from one step to the next, tackling more than one task at a time. While the noodles and broth are cooking, it's time to prepare the shiitake and bok choy. What a beautiful presentation, don't you think?

If you love the sweet, smoky flavor of BBQ, then this delectable down-home BBQ Tempeh and Roasted Corn Stew is right up your alley. I served it with Cosmic Double Corn Bread and topped it with toasted pepitas. Until toasting pepitas (aka pumpkin seeds), I hadn't realized I enjoyed them so much. Pumpkin seeds are a great source of vitamin E, protein, iron, magnesium, and zinc. And toasting them for less than 20 minutes ensures that they're cooked under the threshold for unwanted changes to the seeds' healthy fats.

With another wave of Arctic cold air whipping through this week and anticipated temperatures dipping down into the teens, I will surely be making this soul-satisfying Roasted Root Vegetable Soup again. Loaded with onions, carrots, fennel, parsnips, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes (I used yams), it's seasoned to perfection with just the right blend of herbs and balsamic. Topped with Tofu Feta, it's a Mediterranean feast in a bowl!

Everyone who knows me knows I'm cuckoo for coconut. Mark's Thai Coconut Soup with Lemongrass had me enjoying five-star Tom Kha in no time at all. Coconutty, rich, fragrant, and filled with all the yumminess you'd expect from this classic Thai dish.

 
The 30 Minute Vegan Soup's On will have you turning out tasty, filling, and hearty bowls of goodness in less time than it takes to order takeout. And your meals will be so much more delicious, nutritious, and satisfying than anything you'll find on a takeout menu. While we're still in the midst of winter's cold embrace, get your hands on a copy of this wonderful book. The recipe for Seared Shiitake and Baby Bok Choy alone, is worth the modest cover price. And if you enjoy slurping soup in the warmer months, you'll be covered, because there are lots of spring and summer soup recipes in Soup's On, too!

Update: Congratulations to Georgie Miller! She's the lucky winner of a copy of Soup's On! Georgie, please shoot me an email, to claim your prize. Thank you to all of my readers for all of your wonderful comments and for participating in the giveaway. Stay tuned for more fun to come!

Now, on to the giveaway: One lucky reader will win a copy Soup's On! For a chance to win, simply leave a comment below and tell me what your very favorite soup is.* (Please make sure to include your email address if I don’t already have it, so I can get your book to you!)

To earn additional entries, you can also do one or more of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each item you complete: 

1. Follow this blog.
2. Follow @vegangail on Twitter. 
3. Follow @veganfusion on Twitter.
4. Follow @mostvibrantlife on Twitter.
4. "Like" Vegan Fusion on Facebook.
5. “Like” Your Most Vibrant Life on Facebook. 
6. I’m tweeting to #win a copy of @veganfusion’s terrific new book Soup's On! Enter for your chance to win here: http://bit.ly/30MVSO #vegan 

Good luck!

*Sorry international friends, this giveaway is open only to U.S. residents.