Might be a daft question but how do you make soup without a soup maker?

[Girlwhonevercooks]

I'd like to try making homemade soup. It would be either lentil soup or a vegetable soup of some kind. Obviously having a soup maker (Ninja etc) would make it easier, but I'm sure people made soups before soup makers existed. How would you do it without a soup maker? I am actually wondering if I should just cave in and buy one. 😄

@Girlwhonevercooks This book is fab if you're new to making soup (or just want new ideas), and cheap if you buy a used copy:

amzn.eu/d/hwUCqir

In the same way that millions of people made soup before soup makers were invented 😂

Where are you getting your recipes from? I can't believe they all say get your soup maker out

You don't need one no
And i didn't have one for years...

But I did buy the Ninja soup and smoothie maker and I have to say its fab
I bought it mainly for the smoothie element but I love the soup one.

It does a soft saute of the aromatics, chops everything for you.
You can choose how you want it to finish (smooth or chunky etc)
And cooks it beautifully

Also cleans itself haha

Yeah as others say, pan and a blender. Although if you're making lentil soup you probably don't even need a blender. This is one of my favourite lentil soup recipes https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/lentil-bacon-soup

(If you're veggie it's just as good without the bacon :) well maybe not as good, bacon makes everything better, but still good!)

I have literally just made butternut squash and chilli soup for lunch. In a saucepan then used a stick blender.

I use a heavy bottomed saucepan, and put a bit of butter or olive oil in to heat. Chop an onion and gently cook it in the oil until translucent but not brown. Stir in a crushed clove or two of garlic, then stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Add spices if using, and stir through. Then add lentils/vegetables/tinned tomatoes. Add boiling water and a stock cube. Cook on low with the lid on. Once it’s cooked through I like to blend with a stick blender.

Alternative you can roast onions and veg in the oven, then put it in a saucepan with some stock.

No way would I spend money on a soup maker to clutter up the kitchen and have to lug it in and out of a cupboard.

Simple pan that can then go in the dishwasher, then blend (if you want a smooth soup) with a stick blender - cheap, easy to wash the removable blending end, and takes up no space in your cupboard.

Lidl had stick blenders in the middle aisle this week

Example of a stick blender:
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/5790322?clickPR=plp:10:28

Often on sale more cheaply in supermarkets etc.

I’m slow cooker & hand blender

Don't need a soup maker, saucepan and stick blender is how most people do it.

Soup maker is also restrictive on the quantity whereas you decide using a saucepan. Most people make a big pot and freeze in portions in freezer bags.

Ooo can we share soup recipes?! Feeling very autumnal today!

Love a good soup recipe!

I tend to follow Jamie Oliver but he seems to have a fixation with having every kitchen gadget imaginable for every recipe.

According to MIL you can't
Despite the fact that she has been making soup for over 50 years, often using recipies from her mother who I am pretty sure didn't have a soup maker either
MIL insists I need a soup maker in the run up to every Christmas but my threats to throw it at her if she gets me one seem to be working so far

I have soup almost every single day for lunch. Saucepan & stick blender.

I feel like the op shouldn't really be unsupervised with a hot cooker.

Buy the soup maker op 😂

Fucks sake.

I cannot believe someone would ask this. Do you have google? Just look up a recipe for a soup you want to make and follow it.

Make it in a pan, like anything else. Then blend or leave chunky.

Word of warning: don’t attempt to stick blend very hot soup. It won’t end well.

I wonder how people had any bread before bread makers existed… 🤔

I stick blend as soon as I remove from the hob. Never had any issue.

I use my slow cooker and a stick blender, you don't need a slow cooker though, a pan on the hob works fine.

What’s a soup maker? Do you mean a saucepan? I can’t even imagine what a soup maker would have to distinguish it from a saucepan! 😂😂😂

What does a soup maker actually do? Is it just a cooker with a blender in the bottom?

I make A LOT of soup and always use a pot and a stick blender if required. As per normal 😂

I've only once used a soup maker, and although maybe it works for non-cooks, for me pans are better because you can adjust ingredients as you go along. I also like to saute onions with spices/herbs for a while as a base for almost any soup, and often roast vegetables ( well, tomatoes or carrots) . Once I've done that, I tip it all into a blender jug with a bit of water or stock, blend it, then pour it back into the pan and put in more stock, and adjust seasoning, then cook it up for 15 minutes or so.
But DH sometimes likes his soup unblended, so if I'm doing eg chicken soup, blending is the last thing that happens before it gets served, and his remains unblended. There's something very satisfying about making a soup slowly - the longer the onions cook, the nicer it is.

One of the few things my dad ever bought me was a soup maker a few years back. It was very clear to me then that he had never and would never make soup, as he had some crazy idea that this would unlock a new pastime for me that my trusty stick blender didn't seem to enable. It did give me the hint that he would like me to make him more soups though.