Soup maker recipes and how to get the most from your machine
Own a soup maker but don't know what to put in it? Discover our soup maker recipes, plus our best buys and tips for making the most of your machine.
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Since we first published our soup maker review in 2017, we've seen visits to the page increase dramatically. It seems this corner-cutting gadget is growing in popularity, despite traditionalists remaining adamant that a basic saucepan will always do the job well enough for them. Point taken – so what is it that makes soup makers such a hit?
Their main USP is that you can throw roughly-chopped ingredients into the machine, press a button or two, and end up with a bowl of well seasoned, warm soup, blended to your preference – from silky smooth to rustic and chunky – in no time. There's no need to fry or sauté ingredients, saving time and making the finished dish healthier.
Soup maker recipes don't deviate hugely from a conventional soup recipe, of which we have plenty. Manufacturers often provide soup maker recipes in the manual that comes with your machine.
But if you're looking for classic, reliable soups that can be made in a soup maker, we've reworked 10 of the most popular soups on the BBC Good Food website to be used in a standard soup machine. We tested from scratch to get the quantities and method down to a tee.
When writing the recipes, we used the Lakeland touchscreen soup maker (£99), which comes highly recommended by our reviews team. It works using the same principle as most soup makers – read more about them and find more best buys in our review of the best soup makers.
Read on to find our soup maker recipes, plus expert tips from our cookery hub and the do's and don'ts of using a soup maker.
Soup maker recipes
Soup maker pea and ham soup
A classic combo that tastes just as good when made in a soup maker. This recipe uses just five ingredients, including potato to thicken. The ham is stirred through at the end, which is best practice when using meat in a soup maker – if you add it during cooking, it'll lose its texture.
Soup maker pea & ham soup recipe
Soup maker tomato soup
If you want to test your soup maker's smooth setting, look no further than this silky classic tomato soup. It's perfect in its simplicity, plus it's low in fat and calories and provides two of your 5-a-day.
Soup maker tomato soup recipe
Soup maker vegetable soup
The genius thing about this versatile soup is that it can be made with whatever veg you have. Spruce it up with a dollop of crème fraîche and fresh chopped herbs.
Soup maker vegetable soup recipe
Soup maker leek & potato soup
This silky soup is a masterclass in how to use cream in your soup maker – remember to always add it at the end of cooking to avoid curdling.
Soup maker leek and potato soup recipe
Soup maker lentil soup
Our lentil soup recipe is a blueprint for making chunkier blends in your soup maker. The finish is warm, comforting and nutritious – just the ticket for a quick and healthy lunch on a cold day.
Soup maker lentil soup recipe
Soup maker carrot and coriander soup
Make a few batches of this carrot and coriander soup at a time – it can be frozen after cooking. Ground coriander adds an earthy flavour, then finish with fresh coriander.
Soup maker carrot & coriander soup recipe
Soup maker broccoli & stilton soup
Like cream and meat, cheese is best added at the end of the soup maker process. Once your machine has worked the veg to a velvety finish, add the salty chunkys of blue cheese and give it one final blitz to melt it through the soup.
Soup maker broccoli & stilton soup recipe
Soup maker roast chicken soup
Looking for a Monday soup maker recipe? Use up your Sunday lunch leftovers in this chicken soup. The chunky blend is topped with a lemon & garlic yogurt to serve.
Soup maker chicken soup recipe
Soup maker squash soup
A soup maker recipe that requires slightly more labour – the butternut squash is roasted before going in the machine – but one that's more than worth it. A dollop of cooling crème fraîche offsets the heat of the fresh red chilli.
Soup maker butternut squash soupFind all our soup maker creations in our recipe collection
How to use a soup maker
One of our food editors, Anna Glover, created the soup maker recipes and here shares expert tips on why to use a soup maker, how to get the best out of them and what to avoid when using your machine.
How does a soup maker work?
Soup blenders take any fuss, and the standing-around-and-stirring time, out of soup making. There's no need for additional equipment, either – you don’t need a stick blender or a liquidiser, this gadget does it all. You just add the ingredients (only a little peeling and chopping required) to the liquidiser, and press a button.
It heats, stirs, and blends, to make soup that’s table-ready within around 30 mins. It’s great for busy schedules, people in shared accommodation when hob space is tight, or even makeshift kitchens or offices where there’s no hob. You can press the button and walk away – similar to a slow cooker.
Are there any soups my machine can't make?
Tough herbs like bay leaves, rosemary stalks or bouquet garnie are best avoided when using a soup maker. As the machine blends intermittently during cooking, tougher herbs will be broken up by the blades, and you won’t be able to fish them out later on, leaving your soup with tough bits in.
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Don’t fill the soup maker past the max fill line. If you have too much stock, fill up to the line, and once your soup is done, and you’d prefer a thinner consistency, add the hot stock and mix it in.
Add dairy such a cheese, cream, crème fraîche and yogurt after the soup has finished its cycle so there’s no chance of curdling.
Do you add all the ingredients at the same time?
If you want some texture in the soup, like ham, or chicken, it's best to stir this into the soup after it's cooked. Meat doesn't work very well, as it's broken up too much by the blades and loses its texture. It's the same for anything whole, or larger chunks of ingredients you want to add to the soup.
Do I need to pre-cook ingredients?
We tested these soups in a 1.4 litre soup maker with no sauté, or fry function. This means we didn’t fry anything before making the soup, saving time, making the soups healthier and reducing washing-up.
If you have time, you can always fry the vegetables in a pan in a little oil, before transferring them to the soup maker, or if your machine has a sauté function, read the instruction manual and feel free to use this. It will add more flavour and sweetness to your soup, although not essential.
What if I don’t want my soup super smooth?
Most soup makers have a ‘chunky’ and a ‘smooth’ setting. This means you can still make chunky soups like minestrone, chicken and sweetcorn, or lentil soups, it just doesn’t blend as much as the ‘smooth’ setting, but still stirs, heats and makes delicious soups in minutes.
The best soup makers to buy
We put popular brands through their paces to bring you the best soup makers for all budgets and requirements. Here are three of our favourite products.
Lakeland Touchscreen Soup Maker
Best all-rounderPros: ease of use, preset functions (including a manual option), ice crushing setting for frozen ingredients, adjustable timer
We tested the Lakeland model using the recipes in its manual, and for all of our soup maker recipes – it got top marks throughout. Its smooth setting was exemplary, making extra-fine carrot soup. It's a hard-working gadget that can be used to make smoothies, crushed ice, baby food, sauces and more. Its versatility offsets its large size, as it could replace other kitchen appliances. Read our full review of the Lakeland Touchscreen soup maker.
Available from Lakeland (£99.99)
Tefal Easy Soup
Best basic modelPros: simple functionality, easy-to-use, speedy, keep-warm functionWhile soup makers like the Lakeland look like traditional blenders, this Tefal model looks a little like a flask. This means you can't see the soup while it's cooking, but if that's not a deal-breaker, this is a very reliable machine with plenty of added functions, including an easy-clean function. The accompanying recipe booklet is also very good. Read our full review of the Tefal Easy Soup.
Available from:
Amazon (£76.01)
John Lewis & Partners (£84.99)
Currys (£85.99)
electriQ blender, smoothie and soup maker
Best multi-function machine
Pros: sturdy, powerful motor, good value for money
If splashing out for a machine that only makes soup seems indulgent, opting for one that can also blend and make smoothies might be for you. This affordable machine comes loaded with functions including food processing, ice cream making, juicing and sauce settings. Its Japanese-grade blades and 1800W allow it to pulverise ingredients in seconds. It can also rustle up a hot soup from cold ingredients in only five minutes. Read our full electriQ blender review.
Available from:
Amazon (£69.98)
Appliances Direct (£79.97)
Find more recommended products in our review of the best soup makers and best blenders
Soup recipes and tips
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How to make perfect soup
Our best-ever soup recipes
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5 easy ways to make soup with leftovers
Best pumpkin soup recipes
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Best hand blenders
This review was last updated in January 2020. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.
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