Equipment for Soup Making- What Do You Need?

A basic soup is one of the simplest dishes you can make. However, it also a dish that you can elevate to any level you wish. You can make the simplest soups with just a few ingredients, a vegetable peeler, and a decent pan. However, to make the best soups that have texture and layers of flavour, you may need to use other equipment. Here is an overview of kitchen equipment for making soup.

Equipment for Making Soup- What Do You Need?

The types of equipment you need to make soup fall into three categories. These are:

• Preparation equipment- This includes knives, vegetable peelers, vegetable slicers, blenders, and food processors.
• Cooking equipment- Some of the options include soup makers, pans, or slow cookers.
• Serving equipment- Examples include soup ladles, soup tureens, and soup bowls.

An Overview of Equipment for Making Soup

To decide which soup-making equipment you need, you should weigh up the pros and cons of the various pieces of equipment to decide which will best suit your needs. The following is an overview of each of the types of soup-making equipment along with the pros and cons of each to help you make an informed decision.

Soup Makers- Equipment for Soup Making

What is a Soup Maker?

A soup maker is an electronic kitchen gadget that is the only piece of kitchen equipment that is specifically for making soup. Although the products vary, the best soup makers generally cook the ingredients and then blend them to your preferred consistency when the ingredients are cooked.

Pros of a Soup Maker

• Makes most soups in under 30 minutes.
• Simplifies the soup making process.
• A soup maker is a dual function gadget, as it cooks and blends the soup.
• You can leave your soup to cook unattended while you go and do another job.
• A good option for people who make soups regularly.
• Less mess and washing up than using a pan and a blender.
• Most soup makers have features that allow you to control cooking time and consistency.
• Available in a variety of designs and sizes.
• There are soup makers available to suit most budgets.
• Some soup makers can cook other food, too.

Cons of a Soup Maker

• An unnecessary item in your kitchen if you do not make soup often.
• More expensive than hand blenders or a soup pan.
• You have less control of the cooking stages.
• If you cook soups with meat, you still need to brown the meat in a pan first. See our tips for adapting soup recipes for soupmakers.

Pans for Soup Making

If you intend to make soup regularly, then you need to have the right pan in your pan set. Some tips for choosing the right pan for soup include:

• The larger the quantity of soup you will make, the larger the pan you need. For example, if you are a single person living alone, you will only need a smaller pan. On the other hand, if you are a large family or you want to cook soup in large batches, you need a large pan.
• Depth is also important. You need a pan that is deep enough to contain all the liquid and ingredients. It is also important that the pan is deep enough to have space above the soup. This will reduce the risk of the pans bubbling over, and you will make less mess when using your stick blender.
• Choose a pan or pot with a lid. This will cook the soup faster, retain the liquid, and reduce the chance of the soup boiling over.

Pros of Using Pans to Make Soup

• Pans are the most cost-effective option for soup making as you will use your pans for making any other dishes you cook.
• Making soup in a pan is easy, and you have no settings to worry about other than the heat of the hob.
• You have full control over the different stages and cooking processes.
• If you need to brown some of the ingredients, you can do this in the same pan and then add the other ingredients. When you use a soup maker or a slow cooker, you would need to brown things in a pan first.
• Pans are easier to wash than soup makers or slow cookers as you can immerse them fully in water.

Cons of Making Soup in Pans

• You can’t leave the pan unattended when it is cooking on the hob. You will risk the soup burning.
• When making soup in a pan, you will still need to use a blender for most types of soup.
• Transferring soup from the pan to a food blender and back again can make a mess. Similarly, using a stick blender in a pan can cause spray, especially if the pan is very full.

Slow Cookers- Equipment for Soup Making

What is a Slow Cooker?

Also known as a crock-pot, a slow cooker is a countertop electrical appliance. It cooks food at a low temperature over several hours. This equipment is used to make many dishes, including soups, stews, casseroles, curries, chilli, and much more.

Pros of Using a Slow Cooker

• A slow cooker is a versatile appliance that you can use for a wide array of dishes, not just soup.
• Great for batch cooking because most slow cookers have a decent capacity.
• A good option for people with a busy schedule as you can leave the soup cooking unattended all day.
• Limited skills needed to use, so they are an easy way of cooking.

Cons of Using a Slow Cooker

• They can take up a lot of countertop or cupboard space, which is a bad thing if you do not use it often.
• You may need to brown some ingredients in a pan first before adding to the slow cooker.
• Not suitable for all types of soup.

Soup Makers, Pans, and Slow Cookers- Which is the Best Equipment for Soup Making?

There is no definitive answer to this question, as each has its own pros and cons. This means that each type of equipment for soup making will suit different people.

If you have limited space and a small budget for equipment for soup making, then a pan is the best option. This is also the most suitable for people who do not plan to cook soup often.

Keen cooks who will make soup often should consider investing in a slow cooker or a soup maker. Both can simplify the soup making process, and you can leave them unattended to cook. Therefore, these options also suit people with busy lifestyles.

Food Blenders- Equipment for Soup Making

What is a Food Processor?

There are many different varieties of food processors available, so each will differ in design. Also known as a food blender, a food processor is a kitchen gadget with a jar or pitcher that has a lid. You add your cooked soup ingredients and liquid to the jar or pitcher, then turn on the power. The spinning blades at the base of the pitcher break down the food and liquid to combine them.

Pros of a Food Processor

• Easy to use.
• Most have features to control the speed of blitzing.
• You can use them for lots of other things, such as smoothies.
• Hands-free operation, so you can do something else while the soup is blending.
• They can achieve a very smooth texture.

Cons of a Food Processor

• Depending on the capacity of the blender, you may need to blitz your soup in batches.
• Chunks of food can sometimes become stuck below the blades.
• You may need to loosen the ingredients in the blender in between blitzes for everything to process properly.
• Trickier to wash than a stick blender as you need to disassemble parts.

Stick Blenders- Equipment for Soup Making

What is a Stick Blender?

A stick blender, also known as a hand blender, is a hand-held device that has spinning blades at the end. When you insert the end into your soup and press the power button, the blades begin to spin and break up the chunks of food to eventually form a puree.

Pros of a Stick Blender

• You can use them directly into the pan or pot without the need for transferring into a different vessel.
• They are easier to clean than a food processor as you only need to clean the wand end. This is usually removable.
• Stick blenders are generally a cheaper option than a food processor.
• You can use them to blend even in a small pot.
• They do not take up a lot of storage space or countertop space in your kitchen.

Cons of a Stick Blender

• It can take a while to blend large quantities.
• Sometimes, you might miss chunks, so blending is a little uneven.
• You need to hold the blender while using it, unlike a food processor that you can leave to blend while you do another task.

Is a Stick Blender or a Food Processor the Best Equipment for Soup Making?

Both stick blenders and food processors have their merits as pieces of equipment for soup making. On the one hand, a stick blender is a cheaper option that takes up less room in your home. On the other hand, a food processor is best for blending larger batches of soup. Many people like to have both a food processor and a stick blender as they are both versatile pieces of equipment.

What Knives Do You Need as Equipment for Soup Making?

Having a good knife set is important for any food preparation. You will most often use a knife to prepare vegetables when making soup. In most cases, a decent paring knife is a tool you will use for peeling, chopping, slicing, and dicing vegetables for soup. When chopping larger vegetables, such as squash, celeriac, or swedes, you may need a larger knife for this job.

If you cook soups that contain fish or meat, then you may need to use other knives that are suitable for filleting fish or slicing raw meat. It is best to have a full knife set then you have the right tools at hand to use for each task in the food preparation process.

It makes sense to spend a little more buying a decent knife set for several reasons. First, they will last for longer, which will save you money in the long-run. Second, decent knives will make food preparation easier.

Finally, good-quality knives are often sharper. Surprisingly, you are less likely to suffer a serious injury if your knives are sharp. Experienced chefs say that blunt knives are the most dangerous tools in the kitchen.

Do You Need a Vegetable Peeler If You Have Good Knives?

In theory, you do not need a vegetable peeler if you have a sharp paring knife. However, some people simply find it easier to use a vegetable peeler. Sometimes, people find it hard to only remove a thin layer of peel when they are peeling their vegetables, and this leads to a lot of waste.

Is a Vegetable Slicer a Good Alternative to Using Knives?

You might find it easier to use some form of a vegetable slicer instead of a knife. The two main options are a mandoline or a vegetable slicing gadget.

A mandoline has a blade that you can adjust to create even slices of vegetables at various thicknesses. This is a piece of equipment that you should not allow the children to use as the blade is exceptionally sharp. Many mandolines come with a guard that will protect your fingers.

Vegetable slicing gadgets come in various forms, with some slicing, some dicing, and some spiralizing your vegetables. Some have a variety of features that allow you to choose the shape and thickness of the vegetable pieces. There are options for both manual and electric vegetable slicers. They are a great way of cutting your vegetables into even pieces.

Do You Really Need Lots of Equipment for Soup Making?

Not necessarily. In many cases, you can make a delicious soup simply using a pan. However, if you intend to make soup regularly, it is worth considering investing in other equipment for soup making. Likewise, if you want to experiment and try new ideas beyond the most basic soups, having the right equipment is an advantage.

What Equipment Do You Need to Serve Soup?

If you attempt to serve your soup from the pan, slow cooker, or soup maker using a large tablespoon or a serving spoon it will take you a long time. These types of spoons are too small and shallow for this job.

What you need is a soup ladle, as these have a deeper hollow that is suitable for scooping up liquids. You can fill the average soup bowl in just three or four scoops when you use a ladle for serving.

The second vital piece of serving equipment for soup making is soup bowls. A soup bowl is deeper than a regular dish. When you buy a full dinner service, you often get a shallow dish that is used for desserts and a deeper dish for soups. There are many different styles of soup bowl available, so you can choose bowls that reflect your personality, your tastes, and the style of your home.

Another piece of equipment that you may choose to serve soup is a tureen. This is a large vessel that you put your soup in to serve the soup at the dinner table. These have a lid to keep the soup warm.

What is the Best Way to Serve Soup?

The most common way to serve soup is in soup bowls. However, soup bowls are not the only way of serving soup as there are plenty of other fun and interesting ways that you can present soup on the dinner table. Read our article ‘Creative Ways to Serve Soup: 9 Interesting Ideas‘ for some inspiration.

Other Equipment for Soup Making

There is very little other equipment you will need to make soup. However, you may find a jug or a funnel useful, especially if you cook soup in a pan and then use a food processor. You can a funnel and jug to transfer the soup from the pan to the food processor and vice versa without making too much mess.

A jug is also a useful piece of equipment for measuring stock or other liquid ingredients for your soup. You can use it for similar purposes when making other homemade dishes.

Equipment for Soup Making- The Final Verdict

Soup is one of the simplest meals that you can make, but there are also soups that require skill and an understanding of flavour. Although you do not necessarily need lots of equipment for soup making, you might find it an advantage. This is especially the case if you plan to make soup regularly.

The food preparation equipment options include knives, vegetable peelers, and vegetable slicers. Which of these you prefer to use is a matter of personal preference. However, you will need knives if your soup contains meat or fish.

To cook the soup, the main options are a pan, a soup maker, or a slow cooker. Each of these pieces of equipment has its own pros and cons. You should choose the one that best meets your needs.

If you use a pan or slow cooker, then you will also need to use either a stick blender or a food processor if you want a smooth soup. Again, there are pros and cons to each. It is even worth investing in both as they are versatile items.