Over 150 recipes of 100% pure American deliciousness! Every single one of these recipes produces food that is far fancier than anything I could ever think of, yet it is also familiar, delicious-sounding Americana. Basically, not so fancy that a hillbilly like me would be frightened away by it. Mmmm fried catfish. (Catfish is amazing, by the way, if you've never had it before, definitely try it). Also: corn everything. Mmmm.

It comes with a bonus soundtrack, too!

I really enjoyed "SOUL". It was obvious -- even from the photos (beautiful!) -- that this is a deeply loved subject for the author. Historical descriptions of food (I didn't know collards were originally grown in the Americas), food facts, inclusion of songs playing on the radio of the time, (recipes + music!!! right up my alley), recipes I'd never heard of (sausage-stuffed onions), I could go on, and on! This is a great resource book to have on your shelf or give as a present.

Todd Richards describes this book as a chef's culinary evolution in 150 recipes. The introduction paints a picture of a cultured childhood. Richards visited his father's family in Hot Springs, AR, and basked in the southern style of food. He talks about racial divides, as well as differences in customs regarding Catholicism and the Baptist faith. I live an hour and a half from Hot Springs, and I know exactly what Todd experienced when he was a young boy in this region. Everything we do in the Bible Belt is tied to or, more likely, revolves around food. He goes on to say that food has become a religion of it's own, and that different regions have produced great preachers of cuisine. Todd's stories in the book and descriptions of each dish showcase his passion for food and his desire to preserve the customs and traditions of his heritage.

The recipe are organized by ingredient rather than type of food. This is an interesting concept for a cookbook, and it works quite well. The ingredients are as follows:
1. Collards
2. Onions
3. Berries
4. Lamb
5. Seafood
6. Corn
7. Tomatoes
8. Melons
9. Stone Fruit
10. Eggs & Poultry
11. Pork & Beef
12. Beans & Rice
13. Roots
14. Essentials

Each chapter begins with a traditional dish, then progresses into different flavor combinations and techniques. The brilliant full color photos of dishes and ingredients will make your mouth water. Richards also provides drink pairings and notes for other serving suggestions to round out your meal, plus sample menus sprinkled throughout the book for parties and special occasions. The end of the book provides an index that is categorized by both ingredients and dishes.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that has a passion for unique food, and anyone that is interested in learning more about soul food. I received this as a free ARC from Time Inc. Books, Oxmoor House on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An immersive feast for the eyes, ears, stomach, and SOUL. Food history, playlists, stunning photos, mouthwatering recipes--this book has it all.

When I saw SOUL cookbook, I immediately knew this would be a Southern style cookbook that I needed to crack open. SOUL is a twist traditional soul food cooking that adds flair and kick. My favorites of the cookbook are the seafood/fish dishes and that whole chapter. I recommend any soul food lover to give this book a try. These recipes can up our cooking game!

Soul is such a beautiful cookbook! The gorgeous pictures make me think of meals on my Nana’s farm. I really enjoyed the author’s approach in this book; it’s sectioned off by ingredients. There are definitely whole meal suggestions complete with drink pairing for every recipe, but you can see his evolution of thought with the chapters broken down this way. He starts each section with a more traditional soul food recipe, but then he takes those flavors or techniques and mixes them up for fresh, innovative new recipes. I really appreciate the abundance of recipes for each ingredient without the food getting boring. I can’t wait to try some of these new ideas as each ingredient comes in season. Several recipes seem pretty time consuming, so if that’s not your thing then this might not be the book for you. Living in the South allows me access to most of the ingredients called for, but people from other regions may struggle to find some ingredients.
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3.5 ⭐️ for this beautifully curated book of Soul food.
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Thanks to the publishers through NetGalley for the eARC

I love the way this cookbook is structured! The recipes in this cookbook are simple, easy to follow and flavorful, and don't require any crazy, hard to find ingredients. The history and background given with the dishes are interesting and informative, and the visuals included within the cookbook are masterful. I can't wait to cook even more recipes from this book!

Soul is Todd Richards's self-proclaimed "sermon about my Soul food" as he describes food as a religion of its own.
Each chapter is organized by ingredient. The recipes at the beginning of chapters are traditional and evolve into unique flavor combinations with the progression of his culinary skills. I especially enjoyed the featured menus and the playlist of songs included with each.
My favorite chapters (because bless my heart, I'm a GRITS - Girl Raised in the South) are collards and tomatoes. Any cookbook that has entire chapters dedicated to these ingredients has a permanent home in my kitchen!
Standout recipes for me are: ginger and collard green fried rice, hot and spicy zucchini slaw, and fried green tomatillos.
The vibrant photographs of ingredients and overhead dining table displays (with recipe page numbers for convenience) throughout are a lovely feature that blend food and art. This is a "sermon" I can read again and again!
Thanks to Time Inc, and NetGalley for providing an ARC for review.

Love Soul Food? Almost everybody does, and Todd Richards has released an excellent cookbook, SOUL: A Chef's Culinary Evolution in 150 Recipes, which is full of fabulous recipes that are a bit different from the norm, but definitely mouthwatering. While there are dozens of excellent soul food cookbooks in print, this one is a cut above. Richards seems to be an expert on this subject – is passionate about it - and it shows. Each recipe has an introduction, usually with personal comments from the author, and these comments make the book personal so that readers can relate. Even for those who aren’t in the mood to cook, this book is a good read. And once read, even less passionate cooks will find themselves in the kitchen preparing soul food dishes.

Every recipe tried so far has turned out perfectly, from his simple recipe for cornbread to an excellent, but a little more involved recipe for Shrimp and Grits (a new favorite). Fried Chicken and Sweet Potato Waffles is hard to resist, and Richards’ Hot and Spicy Zucchini Slaw makes a perfect side dish to an outdoor party or backyard barbecue. Recipes in the queue include Red Beans with Smoked Sausage and Shrimp, Dad’s Smothered Potatoes, Curried Broccoli Salad with Peanuts, and Fried Green Tomatillos with Ancho Chile BBQ sauce.

Although there aren’t photographs for every recipe, there are photographs of most, and they are excellent; they also make it difficult to decide which recipe to make first.

Anyone who wants to prepare delicious soul food dishes should not be without this beautiful cookbook. It is well-written, has mouthwatering recipes, and includes fascinating information on the subject. Highly Recommended!

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.