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Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special: More Than 275 Recipes for Soups, Stews, Salads & Extras
A steaming bowl of soup with fresh bread and a green salad, a tempting combo plate of crisp, complementary salads--these Daily Specials have been staples of Moosewood's ever-changing menu board since the restaurant opened its doors more than twenty-five years ago.
Over the years the creative chefs of the Moosewood Collective have introduced literally thousands of new soups and as many salads, all devised to showcase the fresh seasonal produce, vibrant ethnic flavors, and meatless food products that form the core of their cuisine. Now, for the first time, they have gathered the very best offerings from their vast soup and salad repertoire, as well as the ingenious extras that transform these simple dishes into world-class meals. Here are classics like Very Creamy Vegetable Chowder and Tuscan Bean Soup, as well as intriguing new creations like Caribbean Sweet Potato Coconut Soup, Golden Gazpacho, and Fennel Vichyssoise. Salads range from straightforward choices that are easy to mix and match, such as Spinach with Cilantro Cashew Dressing, Mexican Chickpea Salad, or Tunisian Carrot Salad, to satisfying one-dish meals like Broiled Tofu & Sugar Snap Peas or Persian Rice & Pistachio Salad. Each recipe is followed by helpful suggestions for selecting dishes so that creating well-balanced combo plates at home is a snap.
There are easy-to-use indexes of recipes by categories including children's favorites, quickly made, low-fat, low-carbohydrate, and vegan dishes. And each recipe has a complete nutritional breakdown, so it's simple to create menus for those with special health or dietary concerns. The section on transforming leftovers into sprightly new dishes also makes Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special a practical primer for those who want to make the most of seasonal bounty.
Few foods are more comforting--or satisfying--than a good soup and a well-made salad, and because many can be made ahead and served on demand, they are perfectly suited to the way we eat and live today. With more than 275 kitchen-tested recipes to fit any occasion, Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special offers years' worth of inspiration for Daily Specials every cook will be delighted to serve.
Moosewood Inc. and the authors of this book have donated 1 percent of their royalties from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special to the community food and nutrition programs of the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (G.I.A.C.) in Ithaca, New York.
Over the years the creative chefs of the Moosewood Collective have introduced literally thousands of new soups and as many salads, all devised to showcase the fresh seasonal produce, vibrant ethnic flavors, and meatless food products that form the core of their cuisine. Now, for the first time, they have gathered the very best offerings from their vast soup and salad repertoire, as well as the ingenious extras that transform these simple dishes into world-class meals. Here are classics like Very Creamy Vegetable Chowder and Tuscan Bean Soup, as well as intriguing new creations like Caribbean Sweet Potato Coconut Soup, Golden Gazpacho, and Fennel Vichyssoise. Salads range from straightforward choices that are easy to mix and match, such as Spinach with Cilantro Cashew Dressing, Mexican Chickpea Salad, or Tunisian Carrot Salad, to satisfying one-dish meals like Broiled Tofu & Sugar Snap Peas or Persian Rice & Pistachio Salad. Each recipe is followed by helpful suggestions for selecting dishes so that creating well-balanced combo plates at home is a snap.
There are easy-to-use indexes of recipes by categories including children's favorites, quickly made, low-fat, low-carbohydrate, and vegan dishes. And each recipe has a complete nutritional breakdown, so it's simple to create menus for those with special health or dietary concerns. The section on transforming leftovers into sprightly new dishes also makes Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special a practical primer for those who want to make the most of seasonal bounty.
Few foods are more comforting--or satisfying--than a good soup and a well-made salad, and because many can be made ahead and served on demand, they are perfectly suited to the way we eat and live today. With more than 275 kitchen-tested recipes to fit any occasion, Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special offers years' worth of inspiration for Daily Specials every cook will be delighted to serve.
Moosewood Inc. and the authors of this book have donated 1 percent of their royalties from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special to the community food and nutrition programs of the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (G.I.A.C.) in Ithaca, New York.
416 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2015
21 people are currently reading
619 people want to read
About the author
The Moosewood Collective
22 books51 followersThe Moosewood Collective is a crew of fourteen women and five men. Some of us moonlight from Moosewood, and among us we have a broad range of interests and avocations. Our group comprises musicians, singers, dancers, actors, performers, mediators, meditators, activists, teachers, trainers, consultants, writers, gardeners, editors, poets, artists, quilters, calligraphers, martial arts instructors and enthusiasts, health advocates, parents, grandparents, good cooks, and really good eaters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
March 30, 2013
I love to cook and this is one of my favorite cookbooks of all time. Molly Katzen has a gift for inventing Symphonies of flavor. Every recipe includes suggestions for pairing with another--salad recipes pair with soups and vice versa. I could eat from this creative cookbook indefinitely. The recipes work--all of them--and each has an unusually fine blend of flavored and textures. The way to use this cookbook is to systematically try every suggested soup and salad pairing. I am a healthier and happier person for embracing this cookbook. Did I mention that every recipe is delicious?
February 5, 2010
I am not vegetarian like most readers of this book seem to be so the seafood sections didn't bother me at all but I haven't actually even been interested in those sections as much as the others. (Those seafood sections aren't very long out of the 400 page book.) This book is soups, salads and then some extras to go with them such as dressings, croutons, breads and such.
I have only made a couple recipes from this book so far each were amazing. I see so many recipes I would love to try when looking through it. I think even with the seafood sections if you vegetarian or just like a diet with a lot of veggies this cookbook will add new elements to your meals. These soups and salads are meant to be starters to a meal but I really feel these are so good they are meals in themselves. Also these are great to make and have for lunches during the week.
The fall backs of this book are that the recipes are time intensive as they have a very long list of ingredients and not all the ingredients are just things I have on hand normally. But I would still urge people to check the book out and at least cook one or 2 of the recipes so that you can see how amazing they put flavors together.
Also one of my other favorite things about this book is that at the bottom of each recipe it lists other recipes that would go good with the recipe - including the page number which is very helpful.
Overall this book seems to be a good one as it has many recipes that look so good and I can't wait to try. And the few I did try were so good.
I have only made a couple recipes from this book so far each were amazing. I see so many recipes I would love to try when looking through it. I think even with the seafood sections if you vegetarian or just like a diet with a lot of veggies this cookbook will add new elements to your meals. These soups and salads are meant to be starters to a meal but I really feel these are so good they are meals in themselves. Also these are great to make and have for lunches during the week.
The fall backs of this book are that the recipes are time intensive as they have a very long list of ingredients and not all the ingredients are just things I have on hand normally. But I would still urge people to check the book out and at least cook one or 2 of the recipes so that you can see how amazing they put flavors together.
Also one of my other favorite things about this book is that at the bottom of each recipe it lists other recipes that would go good with the recipe - including the page number which is very helpful.
Overall this book seems to be a good one as it has many recipes that look so good and I can't wait to try. And the few I did try were so good.
October 26, 2022
I’ve never quite understood the hype for Moosewood cookbooks and assumed they must have been coasting on their reputation for actually edible vegetarian recipes from the 90s or whenever it was they got their start. I generally found the recipes adequate but nothing special, the one-size-fits-all approach to cooking for a range of tastes.
This book made me reconsider my opinion. I’ve always loved a quaint soup n salad combo, which is *exactly* the setup going on here. Find an interesting soup, and every recipe has a handful of suggestions for a corresponding salad, (and vice versa). Plus soups and salads don’t usually depend on gluteny ingredients, and I’m excited to try out the recipe for a simple gluten free yeast bread in the Accompaniments section. 👀
Btw, this cookbook is actually pescatarian, and there is a seafood section. And if you have seen any other Moosewood cookbooks before, you know that they don’t have photos, only linocut style clipart sprinkled around (no offense to the artist, that’s what it reminds me of).
This book made me reconsider my opinion. I’ve always loved a quaint soup n salad combo, which is *exactly* the setup going on here. Find an interesting soup, and every recipe has a handful of suggestions for a corresponding salad, (and vice versa). Plus soups and salads don’t usually depend on gluteny ingredients, and I’m excited to try out the recipe for a simple gluten free yeast bread in the Accompaniments section. 👀
Btw, this cookbook is actually pescatarian, and there is a seafood section. And if you have seen any other Moosewood cookbooks before, you know that they don’t have photos, only linocut style clipart sprinkled around (no offense to the artist, that’s what it reminds me of).
January 10, 2021
I have had this book for many years, and this summer I have been exploring it again, and enjoying the recipes I have been trying or revisiting.
February 5, 2024
Yet another Moosewood cookbook: this one is on their Daily Special, the cheapest meal – soups + salads (either one as the main dish) + accompaniments (sauces, bread, other extra stuff). There is 275+ recipes, vegetarian and seafood ones. No photos. The book starts with things like making meals more low-far, transforming leftovers; and the recipes part starts with stocks (which all seemed not to be too complicated). At the end of the book is list of ingredients – including information about storing, what each should look like when buying, where to get it (based on 1999 situation in the US), and sometimes also how to use. Among them are some techniques for how to make them, and stuff about spices in their own pages. Then comes a number of pages of lists (recipes for kids, festivities, low fat/carb, quick & easy, vegan), and the conversion (of measurements) chart.
The recipes in each section are in alphabetical order, and each section, both big ones and small, have an introduction. With recipes, there is nutritional information, tips and variations, what other dishes they can be combined with, and of course short comment text at the start. Seafood dishes and salads both have their separate sections. Although there is suggestions of combinations, the reader is encouraged to freely combine outside of it. Quinoa is seen still as a bit of a new thing in this book; brand recommendations are of course US-centric.
The recipes are great, even though I’m picky. Creamy soups, chilled soups, pureed soups and seafood I will skip on (plus the sauces and addings other than bread), but otherwise I liked very many, for example:
Faux pho (lemongrass dumpling soup), Jamaican tomato soup, Ozoni, Spicy carrot peanut soup, Asian bean curd soup, Azuki bean soup, Choklay’s Tibetan lentil soup, Egyptian red lentil soup, Italian green white & red soup, Middle Eastern chickpea soup, Southeast Asian rice & tofu soup, Chinese velvet corn soup, Classic Sichuan noodles, Hijiki rice salad, Spicy pineapple tofu salad, Vietnamese cellophane noodle salad, Curried tofu salad, Indian green beans & red peppers, Marinated broccoli & carrots, Spicy cucumber salad, Yemiser salata (Ethiopian lentil salad), Anadama bread, Herbed cheese quick bread.
I didn’t expect much from this book, but it was better than I expected. Lots of variety, and something for everyone. I really want to make some of these already….
The recipes in each section are in alphabetical order, and each section, both big ones and small, have an introduction. With recipes, there is nutritional information, tips and variations, what other dishes they can be combined with, and of course short comment text at the start. Seafood dishes and salads both have their separate sections. Although there is suggestions of combinations, the reader is encouraged to freely combine outside of it. Quinoa is seen still as a bit of a new thing in this book; brand recommendations are of course US-centric.
The recipes are great, even though I’m picky. Creamy soups, chilled soups, pureed soups and seafood I will skip on (plus the sauces and addings other than bread), but otherwise I liked very many, for example:
Faux pho (lemongrass dumpling soup), Jamaican tomato soup, Ozoni, Spicy carrot peanut soup, Asian bean curd soup, Azuki bean soup, Choklay’s Tibetan lentil soup, Egyptian red lentil soup, Italian green white & red soup, Middle Eastern chickpea soup, Southeast Asian rice & tofu soup, Chinese velvet corn soup, Classic Sichuan noodles, Hijiki rice salad, Spicy pineapple tofu salad, Vietnamese cellophane noodle salad, Curried tofu salad, Indian green beans & red peppers, Marinated broccoli & carrots, Spicy cucumber salad, Yemiser salata (Ethiopian lentil salad), Anadama bread, Herbed cheese quick bread.
I didn’t expect much from this book, but it was better than I expected. Lots of variety, and something for everyone. I really want to make some of these already….
June 12, 2018
6/12/18: I own this cookbook, but I think I've never used it (and maybe it was a gift, from my mother, who loves homemade soup, and knows I love the Moosewood), because yesterday we were startled to discover that it's all SOUPS!! That seems obvious in retrospect, I guess. June is not good soup weather, I will return to this when it's cooler. Three stars for now since I've barely opened it.
July 27, 2023
I'm a vegetarian and own many of the Moosewood Restaurant cookbooks. What I like about their cookbooks is that they use ingrediants that are readily available and their recipes are easy, straightforward, and are darn good. I've made many of the salad recipes and most of them are very tastey and easy to make.
October 17, 2022
I bought it for the legend.
But use it for the Anadama Bread recipe on pg 328. First bread I ever made outside the nest of my mother's kitchen. And I have soared with it. Even made it for my mom once. She liked it.
But use it for the Anadama Bread recipe on pg 328. First bread I ever made outside the nest of my mother's kitchen. And I have soared with it. Even made it for my mom once. She liked it.
December 27, 2023
I love this book so much, it's got penciled in notes written all over it since I've made so many of the recipes. They rarely disappoint and even then it's usually a personal preference or just a tweak needed. If you love soup, this is the best cookbook!
July 15, 2020
3.5 - Lots of things I want to try, but of course being a Moosewood book there are no photos. And at the end of the day, it's mostly soups and salads, which can get a bit repetitive.
February 15, 2023
Everything I made out of this was pretty easy and tasted clean and fresh. Not anything I’ll put into my regular rotation, but definitely more things for me to try.
May 25, 2007
The Moosewood recipes are often a bear to pull together, mostly because many of them have 20 ingredients, all chopped small. Having said that, regardless of how much you buy, if you've decided to make a Moosewood dish, it will expand like magic to 2x or 3x more than what you need and you'll have an incredible and nutritious lunch for a couple days.
Seriously, we've made every recipe from here more than once, and for imaginative ways to pull together a vegetable and grain-centric diet, there is no better book.
But take note: I personally love a lot of flavor: herbs, spices, peppers, and so on. The hippies of Ithaca apparently do not. If you want really bold flavors (when appropriate, of course) you'll want to double any calls for seasonings or aromatics.
Seriously, we've made every recipe from here more than once, and for imaginative ways to pull together a vegetable and grain-centric diet, there is no better book.
But take note: I personally love a lot of flavor: herbs, spices, peppers, and so on. The hippies of Ithaca apparently do not. If you want really bold flavors (when appropriate, of course) you'll want to double any calls for seasonings or aromatics.
May 16, 2012
The most creative and varied cookbook I have found so far on soups and salads. Recipes include both items suitable as side dishes/starters and those appropriate for main meals. Most recipes are not that fiddly to prepare but many will expand your horizons. Includes vegan, vegetarian and vegetarian + seafood options.
Not for those who require photographs of a dish before they are prepared to try it. Fine if you're a fan of woodblock prints though! Great for those who want more ideas of what to do with vegetables, or an abundant home garden. Each recipe includes a nutritional analysis.
Not for those who require photographs of a dish before they are prepared to try it. Fine if you're a fan of woodblock prints though! Great for those who want more ideas of what to do with vegetables, or an abundant home garden. Each recipe includes a nutritional analysis.
February 17, 2012
So far I've tried:
~French Roasted Onion Soup 5*s
~Herbed Croutons 4*s
~Roasted Red Pepper Coconut Soup 3*s
~Cream of Spinach Soup 3*s
~Creamy Onion & Fontina Soup 5*s
~Very Creamy Vegetable Chowder 3*s
~Welsh Rarebit Soup 4*s
~Caesar Salad 5*s
~Asparagus Vinaigrette 3*s
~Mexican Chickpea Salad 3*s
~Versatile Vinaigrette 4*s
~Featherlight Blue Mountain Biscuits 4*s
~Herbed Cheese Quick Bread 5*s
~French Roasted Onion Soup 5*s
~Herbed Croutons 4*s
~Roasted Red Pepper Coconut Soup 3*s
~Cream of Spinach Soup 3*s
~Creamy Onion & Fontina Soup 5*s
~Very Creamy Vegetable Chowder 3*s
~Welsh Rarebit Soup 4*s
~Caesar Salad 5*s
~Asparagus Vinaigrette 3*s
~Mexican Chickpea Salad 3*s
~Versatile Vinaigrette 4*s
~Featherlight Blue Mountain Biscuits 4*s
~Herbed Cheese Quick Bread 5*s
December 13, 2008
I love the recipes in this book. Granted I've only tried three but each was tasty and filling. There are many more I would like to try so it seems a great addition to any cook's shelf especially if your family has an affinity for soups. My only problem with it is that my four-year-old son who LOVES soup did not like any of the soups I made from this book. Perhaps, they are a little more grown-up in flavor than typical soups are. More herbs, more variety of vegetables, etc.
January 18, 2011
This book hasn't let me down yet - I've made the Moroccan Root Vegetable Stew, the Eastern European Vegetable Stew, the Cauliflower, Cheese and Tomato Soup, and the French Roasted Onion Soup (with homemade Dark Vegetable Stock). My only complaint is that the soup recipes make tons and with the distinctive flavors you can get tired of eating it before the pot is empty. Halve the recipes, make it for a big group, or freeze some for later!
August 6, 2014
If soup and salad are your idea of a perfect meal, you have got to check out this book. I can't count the # of times I've pulled it out for recipes or inspiration. Some of the best of the bunch: Flemish Farm Soup (p.36)- a kind of veg french onion soup; Farinata (p.78)- an Italian veg soup thickened with cornmeal; Lobio (p.274)- a marinated kidney bean and walnut salad.
May 4, 2010
Ok I'm not that great about picking out a recipe and following through to make it so I definitely could use this a lot more often. I can tell I would like many of the recipes in this book if and when I make them. So far the only one I make on a semi-regular basis is the "Spiced Mexican Squash Stew". It is so good (both hot and cold)....just great and simple.
March 20, 2014
One of my favorite cookbooks ever, among my favorite cadre of cookbooks from the Moosewood Collective. What I love most about this cookbook is the cross-referencing of soups and salads that makes for easy pairing. I also learned a ton from the glossary and extra information. Very well done from beginning to end.
August 21, 2014
I don't know much about Moosewood, but I'm confused as to why they serve seafood but not meat. Personally, this works great, since I don't care for the taste of meat.
They seemed to repeat the same flavor combos over and over. They shove vegetables where the sun don't shine, then add a couple of spices and label it as "Mediterranean" or "Asian."
They seemed to repeat the same flavor combos over and over. They shove vegetables where the sun don't shine, then add a couple of spices and label it as "Mediterranean" or "Asian."
October 23, 2007
This cookbook is all about soups and salads, which is what the daily special at the Moosewood Restaurant consists of. I've made about a third of the soups in the book. They were all interesting and delicious.
August 18, 2008
I am a proud carnivore, but sometimes you just want a change of pace during the week. I have never had a bad meal from this cookbook. Even ones that I was initially skeptical about trying have wonderful flavors and balance.
May 1, 2014
What a great cookbook! I've had and used Moosewood's low fat cookbook for a couple of years now and recently borrowed this from the library. So many good recipes! If you can't find something to cook and love from this book you don't like food ;)
March 17, 2016
This cook book has great soup recipes and pepper pot recipes. They are not boring in the least and provide a healthy change from the boring everyday soups that are common in our daily lives. I like the nutritional information as well. The Alabama Hot Slaw and the Anadama Bread are great
July 30, 2007
Love this cookbook! Awesome soups and salads for any occasion, including easy dinners. V. tasty.
October 13, 2007
I use this cookbook all of time - great soups and salads. Try the Thai Carrot Soup - fast, easy, yummy, and healthy!
September 1, 2008
Talk about a life saver! This book is all about soups, salads, bread, and accompaniments. Helloooo Lunch!
May 11, 2020
Dude i lived out of this cookbook for awhile...still use it all the time! It's covered in food stains so you know it's good...it's 99% vegetarian.
November 18, 2008
My favorite vegetarian comfort food cookbook. I make the soups (of which there are about 100) more often than anything.
June 2, 2010
I love that there is a nod to Gluten sensitivity in this book! So many of these recipes look absolutely scrumptious! I'll be going out to purchase a copy once my library copy is returned!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews