I don't intend this in an unkind way, but to the Reviewer, "FOOD," from September 15, 2007, I don't think it's fair to lower the ratings of a recipe because of expensive ingredients. We have the responsibility to make that evaluation ahead of time and choose accordingly, not penalize the chef for offering us a gourmet recipe.

I really wanted this soup to work - we're always looking for yummy soups. My husband, oldest daughter, and oldest son didn't mind it (but also "wouldn't write home about it"), whereas my younger sons really had trouble getting it down. We figured that if you like Asian cooking, you might really enjoy it, because it definitely has a bit of that flair. We did make a few MINOR changes (shouldn't have affected the taste, but in all fairness, you never know)- rice milk (instead of almond milk), Bragg's Aminos (instead of soy sauce, but has the flavor of mild soy sauce), and Kuzu Root Starch (instead of cornstarch, but does the same thing). Try it for yourself, though - you may like it! I just probably wouldn't experiment on the kids 'til you knew if it fit in with their palates!