Soup

Blanca Valencia is a cook, writer, speaker and podcaster. Born in Spain, she grew up in Central America and has lived and worked in the UK, China, France, Argentina, the US and now Ireland. She has a Grand Diplome from London's Le Cordon Bleu and an MA in Gastronomy from TU Dublin. Blanca passionately believes in diversity and education through food. @blancsvalenciaDee Laffan is a freelance journalist and editor with over 15 years' experience in the areas of food, drink and travel. Her business also includes digital content consultancy, working with clients from the hospitality industry to create and manage digital strategies, content and social media. Dee's passion for Irish food has led her to many roles and she is a proud member of the Irish Food Writers' Guild. @deelaffanMei Chin is a writer who was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, grew up in Connecticut and lived in New York City and hence likes to think of herself as a tri-state lady. She now lives in Dublin. Mei was the 2005 winner of the James Beard MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award as well as the IACP Bert Greene Journalism Award for Best Culinary Writing in 2010 and 2013. She has also taught food writing at Yale University. @jiemeimeichinBlanca, Dee and Mei are all co-hosts of the award-winning Spice Bags podcast. @spicebagspod

• Introduction; What soup means to me; When is the right time to have soup; Garnishes; Starchy sides; Colombian chicken, potato and corn soup; Beer and cheese soup with bacon and broccoli; Ukrainian borsch; Polish beetroot soup; Georgian lamb stew with herbs; Cherry gazpacho; Soup vessels; Cullen skink; Nigerian spinach stew; Nigerian ingredients; The pressure cooker; Everest garlic soup; Harira; Chinese turkey congee with dried shrimp; Soup spoons; Danish elderberry soup; How to make your own elderberry syrup; Turkish red lentil soup; Bahia fish stew; Italian breadcrumb pasta in broth; Indian lentil and tamarind soup; Japanese mackerel and miso soup; The stock market; Filipino tamarind soup with shrimp; Korean tofu hot pot; Mexican tortilla soup; French onion soup; Thai clear broth with meatballs; Trinidad corn soup; Watercress soup with poached egg

"Absolutely loving this beautiful collection of cookbooks from Blasta Books, celebrating the diversity of food in and around Ireland." - Jamie Oliver "These small, gorgeous, single-subject cookbooks...are fantastic. And, clearly, deeply aesthetically pleasing. They're so beautifully designed and illustrated. I really love the whole enterprise." - India Knight