The requested page title contains invalid characters: "%3F". Return to Main Page.By April Jones (Kitchen Blender Reviews) Photo © Kitchen Blender Reviews Before I knew better, making home-made soups always involved vegetables and spices simmering all day in a big pot on the stove. Fresh veggies, a few spices and some hot water tossed in a blender will offer some of the best tasting soup you can imagine. When I discovered how easy it was, I was pleasantly surprised at the new avenue this opened up for me - and for my blender. By preparing soups in a blender, you can create a fast and simple vegan or vegetarian meal. Just be sure you have a blender that has enough horsepower to blend continuously for three to five minutes on high speed. If your blender doesn't have that power, chances are good you'll experience motor burnout and your dreams of homemade soup for lunch will be a distant memory. When I bought my high-powered blender I knew I would often use it to make smoothies and ice cream, and for mixing batters.

But I had no idea how often I would use it for making soups. Preparing soups wasn't a priority for me. It wasn't until I saw a live demo that the light went on. Within minutes, I had tasted a sample of soup I would be proud to make at home. Blenders such as Blendtec and Vitamix are excellent for preparing soups, and it's a strong selling point for each. I'm sure there are others that will also handle the task. Just make sure they have enough power, as well as a high-capacity pitcher to hold enough of the ingredients to make soup for everyone . If you're seriously considering a new blender, I suggest you check out the Blendtec and Vitamix ranges. They're pricey, but they both have a reputation for durability and will allow you to prepare things in the kitchen that you have never considered before (like almond milk). Blender clean-up is a snap: just a little squirt of dishwashing liquid and some hot water will do the trick. Blend at high speed for about thirty seconds, and your blender will be squeaky clean.

What could be easier? One of the coolest things about making soups in your blender is that you control all of the ingredients that are making their way into your body. You can control the amount of salt, too, and I suggest adding the salt at the end of the process. Add a little more, if needed. vitamix cia professional series brushed stainless steel blender - 1709Trust me - your body will thank you.kitchenaid blender coupler + ws fitting tool Some soups made in the blender could be considered 'raw' soups. ninja blender 1100 bjsThat's because the temperature stays low and no real cooking is required to soften the veggies, since they are blended to bits. kitchenaid blender gummiring

The warm water and heat from the friction of the blade will not heat the soup enough to break down the beneficial enzymes in your ingredients. Enzyme breakdown occurs at 118°F (about 48°C). I don't know about you, but I want all of the good stuff going into my body. By contrast, pumpkin soup should be prepared on the stove, with the ingredients added to your blender after cooking. vitamix cia pro series platinum professional countertop blenderJust be careful, though, because if you add the ingredients while they're boiling hot, the steam won't feel so great on your bare skin.breville hand blender bsb510 Here is my all-time favorite vegan soup recipe. waring commercial blender bb185

Give it a try and see how easy it is. Toss everything into your blender and blend well. To add a little texture, add a handful of tortilla chips and a can of pinto or black beans that have been drained and rinsed. Add these after the other ingredients have been blended. Pulse the blender a few times and you're good to go. I enjoy preparing food with my children, and preparing home-made soup in the blender gets them involved. They pick out the veggies, and they measure and chop the ingredients. The blending part is fun for them - and, without their knowing it, they will use their new-found kitchen skills for the rest of their lives. Not to mention the fact that it brings the family together to eat fun, healthy meals. What more can you ask for in a small kitchen appliance?She has a passion for eating healthy foods and teaching families how to eat healthily. On her site she has collected an assortment of blender-friendly vegetarian and vegan recipes. Check out her site and find the right blender or recipe for you and your family.

Please note: Neither Veg World nor its contributors are qualified to give medical or nutritional advice. If in doubt, always consult a suitably-qualified professional. If you found this article helpful, please tell your friends:Vitamix – the blender of the pros. When I visit a smoothie shop, they have a line of Viatamix blenders, each with a noise reducing cover. My health food store uses them to make shots of wheatgrass juice.  If you know a Raw Food fanatic, someone who believes cooking food kills nutrients, I’ll bet they have a Vitamix on a pedestal in their kitchen.I’m a gadget hound. I always want bigger and better. This is a bad thing in the kitchen, because good enough is usually good enough. But I keep looking for an excuse to trade up.My blender was the exception. I use a blender exclusively for frozen margaritas. Everything else goes in the food processor, or I use a stick blender. My wife and kids, however, are smoothie fiends. They make them every chance they get, and twice on weekends.

My wife hinted to me that she wouldn’t mind a better blender…especially since she was taking classes with someone who worked for Vitamix.That’s how I found out the Vitamix factory is just up the road from me in North Olmstead, Ohio. And they have a factory outlet store in a nearby strip mall Solon, OH. [Update 8/29/2014 – The North Olmsted Vitamix store is closed, and the new Vitamix Culinary Exploration Center is open in Solon, OH, in a much nicer space. So, a lot of what I said about the store itself is out of date. Not about the deals though – they’re still available, though the prices may vary over time.] / Hours: M, T, W, F 10AM-6PM EST Thurs 10AM-9PM ET Sat 10AM-6PM ET Sun 12PM-5PM ETThe outlet store is…well, let’s be kind, and call it minimalist. Boxes of blenders are lined up against the wall. A small stage is in the middle of the store, with a few blenders out so the salespeople can show them. On the weekends they have demos on the stage; local chefs come in to show what you can do with a Vitamix.

If you go there during the week, you don’t get a show. What you get is a good deal on a monster of a blender.I bought a refurbished Vitamix 5200 with their shorter, 48 ounce container, for $329 (plus tax), which goes for $450+ new. The same blender with the tall container was roughly $380, and the pro model, with built in sound damping, was a little more than that. *I’m not sure why Vitamix calls it a “Pro” model – all their blenders are built for professional use.Now, is the Vitamix worth $300+ dollars? It is the best blender I’ve ever owned, by far. It churns its way through everything I’ve thrown at it. I’m glad I got it, but it sure is expensive for a blender.But it doesn’t matter what I think. My wife and kids love “their” Vitamix. Every weekend they pore over the cookbook and add things to my grocery list. We’ve had mixed berry smoothies, apple smoothies, orange and banana smoothies, and mango smoothies. We’ve had peanut butter cup milkshakes and strawberry milkshakes.

We’ve had margaritas made by throwing whole limes in the blender. (Which are good, but not as good as Mexican Martinis.)Diane even made soup, using the blender’s ability to heat ingredients. The Vitamix is so powerful that if you leave it running for five minutes, it will heat the ingredients to a it heats the contents. Now, don’t trust this to pasteurize anything; it warms the soup, but doesn’t cook it. (And I have to say, the spinach and potato soup was excellent.)If you want the best blender available, don’t want to pay full price, and live in Northeastern Ohio, stop by the Vitamix factory store.If you can’t get to Northeastern Ohio, Vitamix has online deals for refurbished blenders. Check out Vitamix Refurbished Blenders. If you use that link, I’ll get a commission for sending you their way, and you’ll get free shipping. (If you use one of the links on this page, you should automatically get the free shipping code – look for it when you get to the checkout page.)