As in other volumes in the series, Delia divides her recipes seasonally and the variety of soups available here is surprisingly wide. In spring, Delia presents such basics as Carrot and Coriander Soup (although her recipe may hold some surprises, even if you count this soup in your repertoire), alongside more ambitious recipes such as Shiitake Broth with Sesame Toast (this is a light soup that is not too calorie-heavy, made with Japanese miso stock and dried shiitake mushrooms). Summer sports some unusual and tempting recipes such as Chilled Almond Soup (called Ajo Blanco here) for which Delia dispenses with what might be seen as almost cursory instructions. But this is the secret of the four books in The Delia Collection: not a word is wasted, and adjectives are kept to an absolute minimum: after all, we know we can rely on Delia to pick only the most interesting recipes. For autumn, there's a piquant Wild Mushroom and Walnut Soup, perfect for the colder weather, while winter has such delights as Slow-cooked Root Vegetable Soup and The London Particular (which is, in fact, yellow split pea soup). Whether you buy individual volumes of The Delia Collection or all four books (much the best course of action!), your kitchen library will be enriched. --Barry Forshaw

I have heard that some receipes are in Delias older books. That is probably true. Lets face it, they're somewehere in the 500 page 4 inch thick book with no pictures and boring text that you've had for ten years. Treat yourself as this is an excellent addition to the bookshelf at a great price!


Good ... yet not so good   February 8, 2004
 73 out of 78 found this review helpful

I own ALL of Delia Smith's books along with 223 other cookery books by various experts all over the world. What I like most about Delia is her "no nonsence" approach to food, although she can be a little "mumsy' at times. But then, that is part of her appeal.

This book and all the others in its series (Soup, Fish, Chicken) have been very difficult to review because they can be simply fabulous or down right rip-offs.

The recipes themselves are typical of Delia - straightforward and designed to work - and as such these books are indispensible for those who do not own any of her other books. On that basis alone I would have given this book (and its siblings) a 5-star rating.

BUT, for those wanting to buy this book, I would warn that there are no great culinary revelations here. These are recipes published by Delia in her previous collections - Summer, Winter, Christmas etc - just a rehash of old hits. If you buy this book and others in this series, you might just be tempted to ask for your money back- but not before giving a 1-star rating!

However, if like me, you have several bookshelves groaning under the weight of countless cookery books, Delia offers a wonderful filing system for her recipes. Personally, I find this to be a time saver when faced with organising dinner for 8 at short notice. No more flipping through pages looking for Delia's Chocolate Mouse or Delia's Mini Chocolate Muffins or Delia's Chocolate Truffles etc etc

For those thinking about buying this book, I suggest that you first ask yourself if you have so many Delia books that you now need more books of neatly organised Delia delights.

For an average person, this book and the others in the series get an average 3-star rating.