They can be the centrepiece of a meal with bread in various forms such as croutons, or accompanied by salads or meat on the side, all of which British cook Annie Bell does in Soup Glorious Soup (Kyle Cathie).
This is more than just a soup cookbook, although that is its raison d'être and there are plenty of inspirational and traditional soup recipes.
But some are accompanied by other things - a recipe for a two-pepper soup has five-spice chicken kebabs and grilled broccoli and sesame seed salad with it, a beetroot and pomegranate soup has goat's cheese toasties, and a curried coconut yoghurt soup chicken brochettes.
Then there are soupy stews - lamb and butternut with pine nuts with flatbread, a traditional poule au pot, a restorative chicken noodle soup, warming grain and pulse soups, as well as more frivolous ones such as jellied red pepper and tequila soup that crosses into the realms of mousse or pate.
A book to re-inspire flagging cooks.
