Soup maker vegetable soup.

I use courgettes all the time and never found any bitter.

I make my lunchtime soup in my largest saucepan. Always add 5 veg oxos and 150g of red lentils. I never use potatoes as I find it makes the soup gloopy. But use sweet potatoes instead. It's my red lentil whatever soup. As I use whatever veg I have in . I make enough for 6 lunches and store it in the fridge in a large container. Because of disability I can't make fresh meals every day. Do the same with my dinner stew .

But we are talking about soup. I have made soup out of sprouts , broccoli and cauliflower. Tasted lovely . I use mint in my soup and salt and pepper. But any herb will add nice flavour. I grew rocket over the summer and it tasted lovely in soup.

The soup I am eating at the moment is made from 175g red lentils because I was low on veg. 168g onions , 844g sweet potatoes and 5 veg oxos. I always blitz my soup with a stick blender . It thickens in the fridge so add some water to thin it when I reheat it.

I did have a soup maker but I prefer to make in my 'cauldron' and put in the liquidiser,currently have spicy parsnip,and butternut and sweet potato.

Love soup makers (I do) or not (some don’t) I think it’s probably the courgettes that made it bitter. Children tried adding cucumber to their vegetable smoothies. That wasn’t a good idea either.

I would peel the courgette and use a fine stick of celery. I bought cooks celery last week, with thick stems and it made my soup maker veg soup bitter. I did the soup programme with bits. Luckily I had added a handful of lentils and next day whizzed the rest of the soup, it tasted nice after that and the lentils added a much better well-distributed taste

Elegran

Whether a soupmaker is for you depends very much on personal choice, so I don't know why anyone would seem to imply that it is somehow morally better to use a saucepan and a blender and laziness or gadgetry to use a machine that does both. When I had a house full of hungry teenagers, I used to make soup in large quantities, but now that there is only me, even 6 portions is a lot. Horses for courses.

I agree.

We're in the house full of hungry people category, the hows of some gadgets are interesting to me - I ask, learn "not for me" with no moral judgement, I know my kitchen capabilities well.

Horses for courses.

Elegran

Germanshepherdsmum

You’ll only get four bowls from it Norah.

It depends how big your bowls are. I get six good-sized bowls from my soupmaker, Too much for one person to eat one after another, so I freeze most of it and always have a choice of several varieties in the freezer to microwave. The medium size of Lakeland's basic plastic freezer box holds two platefuls, so I eat two platefuls fresh and freeze two boxes full. (before anyone upbraids me for buying plastic, I have had these boxes for at least ten years.)

Those boxes are great, I use them to save or store many things.

I also use glass jars with lids.

No upbraiding. Everyone is different, even to food storage.

Whether a soupmaker is for you depends very much on personal choice, so I don't know why anyone would seem to imply that it is somehow morally better to use a saucepan and a blender and laziness or gadgetry to use a machine that does both. When I had a house full of hungry teenagers, I used to make soup in large quantities, but now that there is only me, even 6 portions is a lot. Horses for courses.

Germanshepherdsmum

You’ll only get four bowls from it Norah.

It depends how big your bowls are. I get six good-sized bowls from my soupmaker, Too much for one person to eat one after another, so I freeze most of it and always have a choice of several varieties in the freezer to microwave. The medium size of Lakeland's basic plastic freezer box holds two platefuls, so I eat two platefuls fresh and freeze two boxes full. (before anyone upbraids me for buying plastic, I have had these boxes for at least ten years.)

Soup maker addict here. Yes to potatoes, onion, a couple of carrots, garlic and a veg stock cube, in fact that's the basis for my veggie soup.
(I rarely have celery in the fridge, but if I did, it'd go in)

Aveline

Couldn't be bothered with the faff of blending. Soupmaker does it all no bother.

I've got a stick blender, it's easy as long as you remember to turn it off before you take it out of the liquid!

Sometimes I use the soup maker, if I want to make a bigger batch, I use a large pan.

It’s a personal thing I know, but I always think courgettes are a bit of a waste of time and effort.

My (non blended) vegetable soups - known in this house as Dustbin Soups (my mother’s term) - contain whatever I’ve got, which could be any or all of potato, carrot, swede, celeriac, turnip, always onions and some celery (for flavour). Plus a stock cube or two, chicken or veg - or chicken stock from a carcass if I’ve got some.

Any green veg - e.g. cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, quartered sprouts go in just for the last few minutes.

If I have any parsley, some of that will go in, too.
I usually include a handful of red lentils/and/or pearl barley or orzo pasta. These are main meal soups, though - not for light lunches.

It’s easy to make soup in the soup maker with all the ingredients intact Norah, it gives you the option to choose what consistency you want. You can go as peasant as you like with it.

Couldn't be bothered with the faff of blending. Soupmaker does it all no bother.

I use a saucepan and a blender. Much easier than a soup maker. Also can make more if required. Agree that your ingredients should not have resulted in a bitter taste. I tend to use some frozen leeks instead of onions. Again much easier and a smoother taste!!! I use anything that I think could go together.

Perhaps some of you make soups without lumps and bits?Usually cooked pasta, rice, pulses, lentils, diced veg or couscous are present in the bowls.

Different style I reckon, we eat easy peasant food as mum made.

Love our soup maker

M0nica

Bitter courgettes are a particular phenomena explained in the link in my first post and most courgettes are not bitter. I had a problem a couple of years ago when one bush of courgettes produced only bitter frui, so I pulled it out.

Yes, there was a problem with the seeds sold a couple of years ago.

All the courgettes we've grown this year have been fine.

I have made soup in the slow cooker, in batches to freeze, it’s a lot cheaper to run, can be ignored for hours and won’t catch.

I just bung the ingredients in a saucepan, simmer for 20 minutes and then finish with either liquidizing or adding cream.

Germanshepherdsmum

You’ll only get four bowls from it Norah.

Oh. Well, thank you for advising me.

You’ll only get four bowls from it Norah.

paddyann54

Norah I'm with you I gve away the soup maker I got as a gift .I much prefer to make it in a pot.I dont do gadgets ,I have a hand whisk and a blender I got over 48 years ago as a wedding present and with some decent knives I make soup most days .I keep my sons family in fresh soups,lentil (smooth lentil) made with ham ,scotch broth made with lamb ,mushroom chicken and rice ,cullen skink and chicken and sweetcorn have been this weeks.What we dont use on the day is frozen.My GD often comes through the door asking for a favorite soup to take home with her.Soup needn't take more than 45 minutes if you have stock made in the fridge.
I like the prep its part of the enjoyment of the finished dish

Thank you.

I shall borrow one and make an attempt. I only hope it makes as much soup as we require for our family = as my pot is perfect.

Bitter courgettes are a particular phenomena explained in the link in my first post and most courgettes are not bitter. I had a problem a couple of years ago when one bush of courgettes produced only bitter frui, so I pulled it out.

I think you'll have to ditch the batch. I'd vote for the courgette too, I often find them very bitter. Bitter courgette fried in butter - piquant; bitter courgette dominating a whole soup - Bleah.

I like my soup maker, got it on the side ready to make some as I type. What I like best is that it traps the smell of it cooking inside. I live in a tiny flat, so that's a big plus.

When we have a glut of courgettes from the garden I always make soup with it. It has never been bitter.