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. 😄

Don’t worry - practice makes perfect,
as they say, and you will soon start to feel a lot more confident. I’ll admit that I don’t ever use a recipe for soup. Just fry off random veg in drizzle of oil, add spices and stock (sometimes tin of tomatoes), and blend when veg are soft. May add in lentils before adding the stock or tinned beans towards the end, or even after blending. If consistency isn’t right then I’ll add more stock. (and adjust seasoning after taste test). But this is after years of soup making . It really is very easy - one of the easiest things to cook in fact.

If you don’t already have one, then stick blenders are one of the most useful, versatile and relatively cheap kitchen gadgets. Brilliant for smoothies/milkshakes too. Just don’t use them for mashed potato, you’ll get a gloopy mess!

Chop veg, drizzle with blended olive oils lemon herbs etc and roast in the oven. Then blend with a stick blender and stock.
There's a good recipe in Jack Monroes first book on how to do this.
I've never done soup by cooking it in a saucepan. Apart from the time I accidentally made chilli water.

Funny question.

I use a metal stick blender for smooth soups so you don't have to wait for it to cool down.

Or just keep the veg etc chunky.

Agree
I love mine

No splashes and a quick rinse
Had it 7 years and I love it
Yes,I made it in a pot before.
It was faff and I hate stick blenders
#teamsoupmaker

A really easy one:
3 orange sweet potatoes, chopped
2" piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
large white onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup red lentils
can of coconut milk
bird's eye chilli (optional)
1-2 Italian (mild or hot) sausages (optional)
salt to taste

Method:
Put sweet potatoes, onion and ginger into a large pot, cover with cold water to about 2" above ingredients, bring to a boil then reduce to medium until potatoes are cooked. Use immersion blender to blend smooth. Add coconut milk and stir. Add salt to taste.
Garnish with finely minced chilli.

Meat option:
blend cooked sausage into potato mix before adding coconut milk.

Geez... forgot the lentils! Add when potatoes are 1/2 cooked, but they can also be omitted.

Saucepan here.

If you use a stick blender, make sure it's a metal one. I used to have a plastic one, and it didn't sustain its shape in a hot soup pan. A metal one is less likely to melt.

I’ve never experienced my plastic stick blender melting. I thought the reason you are advised to let the soup cool a bit before blending was the danger of it splashing up and burning you, not that the blender would melt! Unless you are forgetting to turn the heat off the hob, are they not more stable than that?

I usually make veg / lentil soups, chopping the veg fairly small and cooking til soft, then I just use a potato masher to get a nice 'rustic' texture.
If you do use a stick blender, rest it on the bottom of the pan at a slight angle, but not flat (otherwise it kinda 'clamps' itself to the pan). Start at a low speed and as the soup smoothes, move the stick around to catch all the big lumps. You'll soon get used to using it.
Happy cooking!

Cannot understand the point of a gadget to make soup, literally the easiest food ever to make!

Just cut your veg into chunks, add some dried herbs, fry it off in butter or olive oil (the hardest things first) and then add a decent amount of stock to boil it in. When it has come to the boil turn it down and just leave it while you go about whatever you want to do. Come back and blend it up and add water to thin it down if necessary and any seasoning. Done. Add a bit of cream if you want to.

Forgot to mention, Delia Smith's cookery courses are good for beginners. Try this recipe - no blender required 😊www.deliaonline.com/recipes/occasions/christmas/christmas-starters/smoked-bacon-and-lentil-soup

My plastic stick blender also melted. Switched to metal!

😱😱😱

This. I've also never had a soup maker.

I've always thought that soup makers wouldn't really save much time or effort 🤔

Pressure cooker is what I have used.Plenty of recipes on line or BbC.I use Marigold stock powder.4 teaspoons to a litre of water.If we have roast chicken pressure cook the bones.Make a pot full so you can freeze or eat it during the week.Best food ever.Now that pubs are charging £8.50 with a slice of artisan bread whatever that is make your own.You don’t need a soup maker.

I had no idea what I was going to do with those four pints of ham stock in the freezer until I saw this post!

had promised DH I’d do a clear out and I finally found a use both for the stock and the bag of soffrito mix I have never used…

I’ve just made it for lunch today, and it is delicious!

We had a soup maker at the stables I used to work at years ago and my main recollection is that it did not fully cook the veg so the soup was not as smooth and delicious as it would have been if made at home. It was, however, perfect for chilly stables post-mucking out.