Ivy Manning - Easy Soups from Scratch with Quick Breads to Match: 70 Recipes to Pair and Share

Ive been teaching cooking classes for over fifteen years, and some of my most popular classes focus on soups. Students tell me repeatedly that they are in need of great soup recipesthe faster the better. So over the years, I have developed scores of soup recipes that taste like theyve been bubbling away for hours, but take under an hour to make. They have always been a big hit.

People loved these classes, but something always felt a bit lacking to me. My mind would wander off from the soup pot to what Id like to crumble over the top of the soup, or dip into the bowl, or use as a sponge to sop up the last delicious bites at the bottom of the bowl. Yup, I was thinking about how homemade bread would really complete the soups and truly make them a meal.

Im not alone in my view. Nearly every culture in the world appreciates the joy of the soup-plus-bread equation. In Ireland, youll find that their famous lamb stew is always served with a hunk of dark Irish soda bread to sop up the last bites. Fly southeast to the eastern coast of Africa, and families are tucking into spicy red lentil stew with springy teff injerato scoop it up. Cross the Atlantic, and youll see the citizens of Mexico City slurping up chile-flecked pork posole, a spoon in one hand and a warm, soft corn tortilla in the other.

Bread makes soup better, no matter where you live. But when I thought about including breads in my soup-making classes, I knew that my time-crunched students wouldnt use recipes that require lots of kneading, lengthy rising, and time-consuming baking. So I became expert in quick-cooking flatbreads, savory scones and muffins, and other delicious homemade breads that could be whipped up in the time it took to simmer a pot of soup, and I added them to every soup class.

My classes and the enthusiastic feedback from my pupils became the inspiration for this book. In it, youll find forty-five recipes for easy, delicious soups and twenty-five quick bread recipes that partner perfectly with the soups to make a delicious meal. Whether youre craving a roll-up-your-sleeves supper of spicy chili with a wedge of rustic skillet corn bread, or youd rather dip your spoon into sophisticated lobster bisque with a side of airy Gruyre cheese puffs, this book has you covered. I hope the recipes will inspire you to get your own soup and bread mojo going and make the most comforting meal of allthe one that is made with your own hands. Lets get slurping and dipping, shall we?