Presented in order of growing seasons, Brother Victor-Antoine's soups offer a succulent range of flavors -- refreshing Watercress Soup for spring; Gazpacho made with ripe tomatoes for summer; Pumpkin Soup, savory for autumn; and Saint Nicholas Soup, made with turnips, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage, for winter holidays.

In keeping with the monastic emphasis on frugality, the recipes, 75 percent of which are vegetarian, call for easy-to-find, affordable ingredients and include at least one recipe for every vegetable native to North America. From simple clear broths to veloutes, consommes, and thick, hearty soups, Twelve Months of Monastery Soups will appeal to every palate.