I rarely offer a written review, only when I feel super strongly about a product, either negatively or positively. In this case, I am compelled to write a very positive review of the Awesome Vegan Soups cookbook. I recommend it highly!A bit of background. For twenty years I followed a vegetarian lifestyle and raised my daughter like that.Due to many life factors, I began to slip, and as my daughter moved off to college, so did she. To my own health detriment, over the ensuing years, I slowly added more and more animal products back into my diet, and in the end, only still refusing to eat beef or pork.After a major health crisis (breast cancer) in 2017, I decided to return not only to my vegetarian ways, but I have now moved headlong toward a complete vegan lifestyle. And I’ve never felt better. Over the last year and a half, I have immersed myself into current medical literature and science-based nutrition research. Much I already knew from many years before; however, there is much more new and ever-unfolding evidence of the deep connection between human nutrition and health. My doctors are amazed at my current state of heath and energy levels, and all indicators point to a very long and healthy future ahead.All of that said, it helps that my daughter is a physician, as she is seeing how my renewed commitment to healthy, plant-based eating is positively affecting my health, and is leading her to slowly make the change back toward that lifestyle again for her, her husband (also a physician) and their three beautiful children. Unfortunately, we all know that being a physician doesn’t necessarily equate with being an expert on preventing or treating diseases with nutrition!So I’ve been purchasing well-researched cookbooks to add to what I already know about cooking plant-based meals. I happened upon the Awesome Vegan Soups cookbook among others, read the reviews, and decided to give it a go. I have made two of the recipes so far, The African Sweet Potato Peanut Stew with Ginger, and the Black Bean Soup. My only substitution was parsley for the cilantro, as I happen to fall into the group that simply cannot handle the taste of cilantro. For me, the parsley is a perfect and delicious substitute for a garnish!So far it’s two for two! I can tell you that not only are these recipes incredibly delicious, these soups were a hit with my entire family on Christmas Eve and Day! Even my son-in-law, yes a physician, but a hard-core meat-eater from an Arkansas family, fell in love with the black bean soup and cashew “vegan” sour cream! He had three bowls!So I cannot wait to make all of these soups to try! And one further note: one of my best friends was just diagnosed with BC, and her nutritional lifestyle had been junk for years. She has turned to me to teach her and lead her toward my healthy eating. I am doing just that. And she just bought this cookbook!Anyway, thank you Vanessa Croessmann for creating, testing, and publishing these awesome soup recipes! I will continue to promote your book and will savor every mouthful of these delicious soups, made of the whole and complete foods that God put on this Earth for humankind to nourish their bodies!!