Soup Makers

You are all tempting me. I was so anti the idea of a soup maker - I have saucepans and blender (which I hardky ever use). I am no cook, but do love fresh home made soup. Can I justify yet another gadget!

A soup maker is a very different concept from a slow cooker and that is why you use cold - think of it like a kettle.

I very rarely use meat in my soups and they are very filling!

Cold with the soup maker.

Also, I wasn't sure if I should be adding hot stock or cold. when I use my slow cooker, I add hot stock.

Jingle I am a vegetarian and not permanently hungry at all.

Strangely enough, I am not, Indinana, and I eat a lot of soup made in my soupmaker.

Wotanuisance, don't forget that frozen veg will contain water, and water down your soup.
While you are getting used to your soupmaker, use the minimum water measurement. You can always thin it down with hot water if it's too thick.

Gosh, vegetarians must be permanently hungry!

No matter how you make your soup, you will be hungry again very shortly after eating/drinking it. Unless you add meat and have it as a stew.

Don't make the mistake that I made if using lentils. My recipe said 50g of lentils but it didn't look much so I put in 120g and - guess what? It came out like wall paper paste - you could stand a spoon up in it. 50g would have been plenty although it was fine when watered down.

Thank you! Makes sense about starchy veg..potatoes etc. I will persevere!

Definitely add potato and/or some other root vegetables such as parsnips, swede etc. My daughter borrowed mine today to use up some leftover veg - red cabbage, sweet potato, red and green peppers and onion. But there wasn't really enough sweet potato (and it doesn't thicken quite as much as ordinary potatoes - less starch I think), so it was thinner. Not watery exactly, but thinner than she'd expected.
If you want a chunky soup, then you need more veg and less water, I'd say! Just keep experimenting. And look up recipes online - there are plenty out there.

Use less water next time? Try again with some potato as well as the veg? Put it back in and blend it? Do a different recipe altogether to get the feel of the machine?

But it ended up all watery!

I bought a Murphy Richards soup maker after reading this thread but the veg and bacon soup I made today was like dish water! Help! Please! I used mixed frozen veg and a stock pot but no potatoes and set it to chunky.

Thanks. Can't wait! Early C****** pressie to self

Mine has the sauté function & it is good for doing the onions before adding anything else. Go for it if you can, you don't have to use the function but it's there if you want to

My soup maker arrived today. I'm delighted with it ++.Bellanona I notice the Morphy Richards one with the sauté function is still £49.99 if you look on e bay. I got mine from Cooperative electrical and the price included delivery. I don't think the sauté function is essential but it may be useful occasionally to sauté onions first for a special occasion perhaps??

Thanks, both of you

I don't think you need the sautée option- I haven't got it.
I fill it with soapy water as soon as finished. Leave to soak while we eat the soup then do a few quick bursts with the cleaning button and then washes out quickly. So easy. I know people keep saying how easy it is with a saucepan and blender, but the soup maker is much simpler!

I think the soup maker vendors have been reading this thread, or it is the approaching cold weather. Inspired by the recommendations, I ordered one and nowhere had the MR one with sauté function for less than £59.99. However I took the plunge and wait with baited breath for my own personal soupathon

I've been reading this thread with interest. The OP mentioned not having a sautee function, but in another post she mentioned having one. Is the sautee feature necessary? This has been a mouth watering thread and now I WANT ONE ! Is it reasonably easy to clean? any recommendations? I love the sound of all the recipes on here and it sounds less of a faff than using the blender. Any guidance very welcome !

Leek, celery, and potato soup today, flavoured with garlic, ginger, tarragon and fennel seeds. One of my 'make it up as you go along' soups, and turned out beautifully, very tasty!

We had leek and Stilton soup yesterday, made in our soup maker, delicious. I'm another convert to this wonderful gadget & wouldn't want to return to saucepan and stick blender

Wow! Interweaving pancetta. That really is a palaver! I'll stick with stuffing everything into the soupmaker!