It's the week before winter vacation, and it has snowed so much that Carrie has the day off from school. She wants to earn money shoveling so she can buy her mother a Christmas present. But what should she buy? As she goes from house to house, Carrie finds that everybody is making soup. Carrie's neighbors come from many places so each one is making a different kind of soup, from southern corn chowder to Japanese miso shiru. And as she collects recipes, Carrie begins to get an idea of what to give her mother. Accompanied by simple recipes, this tale is sure to please the many readers who loved Everybody Cooks Rice and Everybody Bakes Bread as well as those who are new to Carrie's delightful multicultural neighborhood.