Using a Stick Blender to Make Delicious Soups

In the middle of winter there’s nothing like curling up in a soft chair with a good book and a bowl of hot, comforting soup. I’ll be honest, soup is actually one of my favorite winter meals (to make and eat) and I like to leave the vegetables in lumps but since I picked up a cheap stick blender a few years ago I’ve been inspired to try a much bigger variety of dishes (see my current favorite below).

Making Perfect Soups with Stick Blenders

Instead of buying ready made store soups, you can also easily create your own soups at home with a large pan, a few vegetables, and a stick hand blender. Your meal will be so fresh, it will taste so much better than ones that you have bought in cans. It will be full of all those nutritious vitamins and minerals, and will have a” just picked”  flavor. There are some amazing blenders on the market, so it is well worth browsing discount hand blender reviews.

There’s plenty of choice out there to impress you and reading other users experiences can help in making the decision about which to buy. To be honest, my last blender was a cheap supermarket own-brand that was passed on to me by a family member and it served me well for years, so there’s no need to spend a fortune. There is a great selection of blenders that are currently available at low discount prices, so you can grab a bargain just in time for the holiday season.

Stick blenders have stainless steel blades, and some are reversible, which makes them perfect for blending all types of ingredients. As well as soups you can make healthy shakes and fruit mixes (which please kids as well as adults) and they will be much tastier than the ones that you buy in the stores, plus they will be additive free.

One of the most popular blenders around is the cheap KitchenAid immersion blender, which comes at a great price. As well as the basic blender, it also comes with some great attachments, which will help to make your time in the kitchen easier (and quicker!).

There is a whisk which will make light work of whisking up liquids and makes wonderful batters and pancake mixes. There is a chopper, which is perfect for chopping nuts and other items. A handy beaker comes in the pack, which is great for mixing small amounts of food, and it has a resealable lid to keep the ingredients fresh. For such a high quality machine, you are certainly getting a lot for your money – it costs only slightly more money than a product without any extra attachments. Nice!

Sweet Potato with Coconut – Soup Recipe:

Chop 2 medium onions and cook gently in a small amount of oil until soft (approx. 3/4 tablespoons – 5-10 mins). Add 500g of sweet potatoes (peeled and chopped) and cook together for another 5 mins. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1/4 teaspoon dried chilli flakes or powder and a small piece of peeled and chopped root ginger (or powdered if you don’t have fresh). A can of coconut milk, 1 liter of boiling water and salt and pepper to taste complete the prep. – just simmer for around 30 mins (until the potato is cooked) before blending and (the best bit) tasting.

This makes a decent amount of soup (the original; recipe that  adapted suggests 4 servings) but I’d encourage you to make plenty and freeze the excess in portions – saves time later!