Book Review: The Soup Solution – Guest Reviewer Cat Thomson

Readers of The Scotsman newspaper and other good periodicals will be aware of the quirky but elegant writing of Cat Thomson. We lunched the other week - at The Gordon Arms, Yarrow, review pending. With my neck at its brassiest, and my luck pushed to stretching point, I suggested an article for my dear reader would be nice. And, lo and behold, the lady comes up with the goods less than a fortnight later. Ms T, you are welcome back to lunch any time.

It's no coincidence that publishers tend to release the majority of their stuff at this time of year. Books are always a great gift for the foodie who has everything. Expect one or two more in the coming weeks. Thanks, Cat, for this beautifully written piece.

The Soup Solution: 80 Simple Recipes for Really Good Soup

Charlotte Pike

Hamlyn       RRP £20

As storm season has begun crashing into our shores, I think it is time for me to declare the beginning of the soup season officially. I must confess to being a big fan of throwing everything you have into a pot with a couple of stock cubes and hoping for the best. I have fond childhood memories of Soup Dragon in the TV show The Clangers, who served up endless portions of green, volcanic soup. Perhaps that is the reason why I am partial to a steaming bowl of pea and mint soup today.

Across the world, most countries have their own regional version of soups. France has Vichyssoise and French onion soup, while here in Scotland I think we hold our heads up high with Scotch Broth and Cullen Skink.

One lady who knows a thing or two about soup is Charlotte Pike. She was awarded an MBE last year for her services to food writing and food education and has previously been both the Chair and Vice Chair of The Guild of Food Writers and is an award-winning British food and drink expert, author and food consultant.

In addition to all of this she has also found time to write seven cookery books, including Quick Prep Slow Cook (2024) and her latest creation, The Soup Solution (2025).

A former alumna of Ballymaloe Cookery School, Charlotte confesses that she really discovered how fantastic soup could be while studying there. She says, But it opened my mind to its endless possibilities. To be candid, when I trained as a chef, I realised that I hadn't really understood how to make great soup.

In her latest book, which features 80 simple recipes, she has collated all this culinary knowledge, saying, I wanted to share what I had learnt and help people avoid the common mistakes that, when addressed, turn soup from something nice into something fantastic. I utilise some new and innovative tricks to really elevate the soups you can make at home. 

Her favourite childhood soup was the red lentil, garlic and lemon soup her Mum used to make. She says, I always really used to enjoy it. I remember the enticing smell of it bubbling away and the whizz of it blending until smooth. I have always been drawn to really savoury flavours and this soup really delivers on that front.

She adds, Soup has been such an interesting area to explore in my latest book. What's so fascinating is that food cultures the world over have soup recipes as part of their culinary identity, so I found many influences to draw upon. I have included recipes inspired by soups from Ghana, Cuba, Italy, Japan, Thailand, Mexico and Brazil, to name a few.

Now, to the untrained eye, a bowl of soup may seem a dull choice, but Charlotte enthuses, It's suitable for all times of the year and many times of the day. It can be a great lunch, starter or main course, and it can be as simple or elevated as you like. I think making soup is a really important life skill and understanding how to make a good soup from scratch will always give you a way of feeding yourself well. Soup can be the ultimate budget food and can offer such nourishment and comfort, too.

Her book features a blend of foolproof classics and new, fresh recipes. She explains, They're organised by chapters based on circumstances, such as quick recipes, budget recipes and even a chapter called 'Just what the Doctor ordered', plus some lovely recipes for finishing touches, such as pesto, herb and chilli oils, and yoghurt swirls, plus some fantastic homemade breads which add an extra layer of interest to soups.

It might have been unfair, but I made her choose her favourite soup recipe from the book. She points out, I think if I were pressed hard, I'd have to pick the red lentil, garlic and lemon soup for pure nostalgia reasons, and because it has such a delicious flavour. I didn't include a single recipe that I didn't love - which is the case for all my books.

I am indebted to Charlotte for sharing just a soupçon of her culinary wisdom and giving me a ladleful of creative inspiration for my next soup de jour.

And I'm equally indebted to Cat, not only for this review, but also for the inspiration for the next couple of Tom Cooks! columns