This cookbook is a wonderful gateway to the vibrant and rich culinary traditions of the Middle East, gathering some of the best dishes from the region into one beautifully curated collection. From flavorful dips and condiments to hearty mains, soups, salads, and even decadent desserts, it covers every aspect of Middle Eastern cuisine in a way that’s accessible for home cooks. What I especially appreciate is the focus on using easy-to-find, fresh ingredients paired with authentic Arabic spices, which makes it simple to recreate these mouthwatering meals in your own kitchen.

The recipes are laid out in such a way that even someone new to Middle Eastern cooking can dive right in with confidence. The instructions are clear and concise. The cookbook also balances a wide variety of dishes. For weeknight cooking, the quick dips, salads, and sides are perfect. The mains—like fragrant chicken shawarma or grilled kofta—are approachable and satisfying, while the soups and stews bring a comforting warmth, ideal for cooler days. And then there are the desserts! From sticky-sweet baklava to refreshing rosewater-infused drinks, there’s something to delight every palate.

If you’re looking to explore Middle Eastern cuisine and bring these delicious, fragrant dishes to your table, this cookbook is a must-have. With its focus on fresh ingredients, simple techniques, and the beautiful complexity of Arabic spices, it makes authentic Middle Eastern cooking not only approachable but deeply enjoyable.

What a lovely and interesting cookbook with some great Middle Eastern recipes. It is a book that brings new life and flavours to your kitchen and your meals. I enjoyed trying some of the wonderful and tasty recipes, the ease of making them and the joy of eating them. The division of the book in to sections was easy to follow, the photos made me hungry and the twist the author put into the recipes was quite lovely and new.

This is a recipe book I will use again and again to bring new life to the food in my home. All I can say is YUM!

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Rock Point for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

In this skillfully written cookbook that features the yummiest recipes from Morocco, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt and so on ... Amina Al-Saigh celebrates the various food cultures within the MENA (Middle East North Africa) region. A truly beautiful cookbook that made me immediately follow the author's accounts (@HungryPaprikas) on both Instagram and Tiktok !

The book is divided into 7 sections (Condiments and dips, Salads and sides, 30 minutes, 1 hour, Worth the effort, Soups and stews, Desserts and drinks) so that you can try different menu combinations. Being from the region, I'm pretty familiar with most of the traditional recipes and I can tell that the author has impeccable taste. But what got me really excited about this cookbook are the twists she put on some famous dishes : Crumbled falafel salad ? Deconstructed manti ? Muhammara pasta ? So creative !

Honestly, there's nothing negative to say about this book (other than the fact that there are no Algerian recipes in it haha) : Great design and layout, oustanding food photography / styling (done by the author herself), excellent writing, clear instructions ... ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 well-deserved stars !

Thank you so much NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for providing a copy of this e-book for review consideration !

This is a stunningly beautiful cookbook full of authentic recipes. We have friends from the Middle-East and so many of these dishes are things we've eaten that they cooked for us, and even a few that they taught me to make myself.

The photos are so beautiful, and the recipes are simple and easy to understand. I also love how each spice is described in the beginning of the book, and that helps make it much easier to find a substitution if needed.

This is a must buy for anyone interested in adding some delicious flavors to their meals. I've already made a shopping list, and plan to cook my way through this book.

I am so excited to try these recipes! When I cook I try to get out of our normal recipes so this will definitely help with that! We also LOVE dips in my household so best believe that is the first things I will be trying! The recipes seems super easy to follow and I love that there are pictures of every dish so I know how it is supposed to look. I cant wait to try my hand at baklawa and I know my mom cant wait either since it is her favorite dessert!

Souk to table felt super authentic and I loved the really honest introduction that explained both the Canadian and Iraq influence on the recipes and chef's cooking experience. The graphics and fonts had a great look and the food photography itself was exceptional!

I also really enjoyed the structure, it felt really clean and followed such a good chronology from the lighter recipes with dips and salads to the more labour intensive and heavier meals. I think this cookbook is suitable for anyone curious about expanding their horizons as the recipes are really well written and digestible with lots of notes to compliment the recipes. Not to forget, so many of the recipes were so low effort and had such a low prep/cooking time so this is also increased the accessibility of this book.

My main critique was that some recipes felt like they were in the wrong category - the phyllo cheese pie felt more like a main dish than a starter (but I respect that this is down to opinion) also there was such a lack of options for vegan/vegetarians In the main dishes section there was only one vegan recipe and I found some of the vegan recommendations in the notes section a little far fetched. For instance, in the chicken curry, the vegan amendment was to not add chicken which didn't really feel like a thoughtful or particularly good note.

All in all, if you're a meat eater and want to try some fuss free interesting recipes I would definitely recommend this book. However, if you are vegan/vegetarian I'm not sure you will gain as much from this one.

I absolutely loved this cookbook! Coming from a culture with Turkish cuisine influences, I’ve been eager to incorporate more Middle Eastern dishes into our daily meals. This book offers a fantastic variety, from fresh salads and quick dishes to more elaborate, flavorful recipes. The presentation is beautifully done, with mouth-watering photos that inspire you to start cooking right away.

One of my favorite cuisines is Middle Eastern food and with this beautiful cover, I couldn't resist picking it up.

The book includes 99 recipes, from sauces and sides to main dishes, soups and dessert. Every recipe has a beautiful, delicious color photo, step by step instructions, notes, cooking times, and yield.

I loved the organization of the book. Main dishes were separated by time involved making, which I appreciate.

There were so many delicious sounding meals! Good things take time, so I won’t mind it when these recipes turn out tasting as good as they look.I’m definitely going to be making many of these in the future.

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley. I voluntarily read an early copy of this cookbook.

Gorgeous cookbook that makes middle eastern cooking approachable. The recipes were clear and the photography is lovely. This is a vibrant and exciting cookbook. I’ve just read a wonderful novel set in Iran and so getting this book was great timing as I’ve been inspired to try out some middle eastern cooking. A prominent dish in that book (Persian Fesenjoon) is even featured in here!

Love Middle Eastern food? Then this is the book for you. Lots of great recipes with really good pictures (very important to me). I especially enjoyed the sauces and will definitely start using them in my everyday cooking.

Alas the photography in this book doesn't do the recipes justice. The recipes are comprehensive and very meat focused. An American publication which just doesn't quite fit in the UK market.

Book Review: Souk to Table by Amina Al-Saigh

Rating: 5 Stars

As a huge fan of Middle Eastern cuisine, I was beyond excited to dive into Souk to Table: Vibrant Middle Eastern Dishes for Everyday Meals by Amina Al-Saigh. This cookbook is a delightful treasure trove of over 100 easy-to-make recipes that beautifully blend traditional and modern Middle Eastern flavors. Amina, a popular food blogger known as @hungrypaprikas, really understands the struggle of busy weeknights and has crafted this book to make cooking accessible without sacrificing the bold, exquisite flavors we all crave.

The book starts off with a fantastic introduction to “My Middle Eastern Pantry.” Here, Amina lays out the essential ingredients that form the backbone of her recipes, making it easy for anyone to stock their kitchen with what they need. Following this guide are sections divided by meal types: from "Condiments and Dips" to "Salads and Sides," and even "Main Dishes in 30 Minutes." There’s something for everyone, whether you’re looking for quick weeknight dinners or more elaborate weekend feasts.

What I love most about Souk to Table is how approachable it makes Middle Eastern cooking. Each recipe is accompanied by stunning photography that makes your mouth water before you even start cooking. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, with helpful notes on alternative ingredients for those who might not have access to everything. The "Deconstructed Turkish Manti" and "One-Pot Chicken & Saffron Orzo" were both huge hits in my house—seriously, my family couldn't get enough!

In a world where cooking can sometimes feel overwhelming, Amina’s book is like a warm hug that invites you into the vibrant flavors of the Middle East without the intimidation factor. Whether you're a seasoned chef or just starting out, Souk to Table is definitely a must-have addition to any foodie’s collection. I can’t wait to try more recipes from this gorgeous book—it’s truly a celebration of culinary heritage that enriches our everyday meals!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

I loved everything about this cookbook. It checks all the boxes! Beautiful photos, simple recipes, complex recipes and most of all there is a recipe for every type of eater or diet. I love all of the dip selections and soups! The mudhammara pasta is outstanding and so inventive!!

A very nice cookbook with a logical presentation. I was dubious that I could cook this kind of food living in a small town without access to exotic ingredients, but Al-Saigh has anticipated issues like this and gives the aspirational cook a lot of different choices. There are many recipes that I would love to try and her writing style is warm and encouraging. I think it is a useful addition to the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this cookbook. I found it to be very user-friendly and that's essential in a cookbook for most of us!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I was instantly attracted by the title of this. I enjoyed the colors and the design of it, the font of the titles, the was the images and recipes were divided. It was clear, appetising and nice to look at. Now for the important part of the recipes, I loved it. I tried a couple of easy ones already and am looking forward to trying some more adventurous ones soon.
The salad recipes were great, as well as the rice ones, the dips, and the soups but I’m very excited to try to make the cauliflower fritters. The lahm bajeen, the fatayer, the batata harra are on my list too.

The dishes that are “worth the effort” were interesting but ones that are way down on my list due to the difficulty but still, they look good so it’s nice to dream.

I received an ARC of this cookbook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful cookbook. It's filled with recipes that are delicious!

Souk to Table is a book of vibrant Middle Eastern dishes for everyday meals.

Author Amina Al-Saigh grew up with family dinnertimes of delicious dishes cooked from scratch by her Iraqi mum. She started a food blog of her own when on maternity leave for her first child, on which she published Middle Eastern recipes with measurements (as many people from the previous generation cooked with their senses rather than precise quantities) as well as helpful tips and tricks on how to make the process easier and faster.

The book is divided into several sections. "My Middle Eastern Pantry" presents the pantry and fridge ingredients used throughout the recipes in this book. After this follow the recipes themselves, divided into the following categories: "Condiments and Dips", "Salads and Sides", "Main Dishes in 30 Minutes", "Main Dishes in 1 Hour", "Main Dishes Worth the Effort", "Main Dishes Soups & Stews", and "Desserts and Drinks"

The dishes are beautifully photographed and notes on alternative ingredients or methods are included for most of the recipes. Her cauliflower fritters were a big hit with my kids, and I can't wait to try the sheet-pan chicken shawarma and the one-pot shrimp and rice!

A recommended read for people who would love to cook like Ottolenghi but are short on time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful photos of every recipe! I learned a lot from this cookbook about how to use spices like Saffron. I brought some home from Morocco- glad I hadn’t sure is yet or I would not have used it properly.

A goregous cookbook full of recipes that I am dying to make and eat! The pictures are so vibrant, and the food looks like it could jump right onto my table.

4.5⭐ I love this cookbook! It has so many great recipes in it. And each recipe has a full page photograph to go with, so you can see the delicious dish before you make it! There are 100 mouth-watering recipes in this book, and I'm planning to work through as many as I can.

Her layout for each recipe is easy to read, and her instructions are easy to follow. There's a very informative section at the front of the book describing all the pantry items you will need for these recipes. Most items can be found in your local grocery store.

I love lamb tagine, and have been making it for many years. Amina's recipe is very similar to mine. I use apricots and raisins, she uses prunes. Next time I'm going to try prunes!

Amina is also a food blogger, @hungrypaprikas , where some of these recipes are featured, along with beautiful photos! She is first generation Arab Canadian and has offered up recipes for meals she made with her family while growing up. It doesn't get any better than this!

Thank you Amina Al-Saigh and NetGalley for this ARC. The above is my own and personal opinion.