Soup maker vegetable soup is an easy and tasty way to make the most of your vegetables. I’ll show you how to pick the perfect mix of vegetables for delicious & perfect soup every time!
Delicious soup maker vegetable soup
A mixed vegetable soup is a classic, versatile, adaptable and delicious, and so easy to make in your soup maker.
Follow my hints and tips to make the most of your veggies and to make a delicious soup every time with whatever you have to hand.
See also
- Soup maker butternut squash soup – gloriously golden and velvet smooth
- Make this British classic – broccoli and Stilton soup in a soup maker
- Soup maker pea soup is a delicious use of that bag of peas in the freezer!
Love Your Soup Maker?
- All my soup maker recipes in one place!
- Soup maker hints and tips to get the best from your gadget
As tempting as it is, for the best results, it really is best NOT to throw the entire contents of the vegetable drawer into the soup maker. I’ll show you how to use the ingredients you have to make a tasty and perfectly textured soup every time.
I cook for two but will batch my soup – cook once and eat twice or more – this mixed vegetable soup keeps for a few days in the fridge, and can be frozen.
Why make mixed vegetable soup in the soup maker?
- It is so delicious and velvet smooth!
- Largely hands off as the soup maker does the work and there is no danger of over cooking
- Adaptable recipe – easily change the flavours and quantities and still make delicious soup!
- Homemade is nearly always better and will be UPF free!
- Perfect for bulk cooking – a modern soup maker can make about 1.7 litres of soup, which is more than 7 cups, or 6 generous portions – so you can make ahead and fill the freezer.
Soup maker vegetable soup – base ingredients
- Carrot – we nearly always have carrots in the fridge and they add more flavour (carrot, onion and celery making the classic sofrito savoury base mix).
- Parsnips – these pair perfectly with the carrots
- Celery – one or two sticks or as a savoury base – this will not make the soup taste of celery it just adds another layer of flavour. You can, of course leave it out.
- Onion – one regular brown onion, or you can use a red onion or a handful of shallots.
- Potato – to thicken and add body.
- Stock/broth – vegetable or chicken. You don’t need to make up a stock in advance and as this is a blended soup you can simply throw the stock cube or pot into the soup maker.
- Seasoning – Pepper, salt and some garlic granules.
- Olive oil – I like an unrefined extra virgin olive oil for sautéing the onion
How to make vegetable soup in a soup maker – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this soup maker butter soup recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Peel the onion and cut into quarters, put into the the soup maker and pulse briefly. Then scrape any onion off the sides to the bottom of the jug.
Add the oil to the soup maker and select the sauté function. Allow to cook for the programme length until the onion is translucent and fragrant. Cooking time will vary according to the model of soup maker.
If you do not have a sauté function, then you can skip this stage and throw all the ingredients, including the raw onion into the jug. Or, sauté the onion in a pan first; I do prefer the onion sautéed for the extra flavour this brings to the soup.
Helen’s Fuss Free Tip
I’ve recently started sautéing in the soup maker without the central bung to let the steam escape. I think it gives a better result. However make sure you replace it when it comes to making the soup.
Step Two – Prepare the vegetables.
Carrot & Parsnip – if needed peel – I only bother is the skin is blemished. Top and tail and cut into chunks.
Potato – Peel if needed, and roughly chop.
Celery – trim and roughly chop.
Step Three – Add the prepared carrot, parsnip, potato and celery to the soup maker.
Add the stock cube and the seasoning.
Top up with water to about 2 inches / 5 cm BELOW the level of the vegetables.
If I am making soup to freeze I use even less water so the soup takes up less space. You can always add a little more in part way through cooking if it is not blending properly.
Helen’s Pro Tip
When making soup I always try to use a little less liquid than I think it will need. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out, and too much will dilute the flavour.
Step Four – Put the lid on, and start the smooth soup program. Most machines will take about thirty minutes, finishing with a longer blend to make a completely smooth and velvety soup.
Step Five – When the machine has finished, taste and pulse in any extra seasoning as needed. I often add a generous pat of butter for a lovely rich soup.
You can add some more liquid if needed at this stage to thin the soup.
Serving suggestion
Garnish with some fresh herbs, or a swirl of yoghurt and serve.
How to make the perfect vegetable soup with any vegetables
This soup is super (souper?) adaptable and by following a few simple rules you can easily mix it up using the vegetables that you have.
- Use a base with carrot, onions and celery.
- Then add some more from butternut squash, pumpkin, parsnip, sweet potato, potato, leeks, bell peppers, turnip or swede. You can use pretty much anything else aside from beetroot which will make the soup go a funny colour.
I would also avoid brassicas – cabbage, Brussels sprouts and similar. These will develop unpleasant, bitter, flavours in the longer cooking times needed for root vegetables.
- Have a selection of 5 to 6 vegetables.
- Aim for no more than 20% of alliums (onion family) unless you fry them in a pan first. They can rapidly overpower the soup.
- Choose some sweeter vegetables for balance.
- Don’t go too heavy on the more bitter vegetables (turnip can be quite bitter).
- Keep some colour in the mix.
- Make sure there are some starchy vegetables to thicken the mix.
Variations
- Add some spice – a little curry powder, chilli, turmeric, coriander or cumin all would work well. Add to the cooking onion, to allow the flavours to develop.
- For a more intense soup roast the vegetables first.
- Fresh lemon juice is a great flavour enhancer for many soups, and works very well here.
- Make the soup richer by adding a knob of butter at the end of cooking and briefly pulse it in. You can also use peanut butter or tahini (which will also thicken the soup)
- Add different fresh herbs at the end of cooking. I like to pulse them in rather than fully blend.
- Pulse in about 80ml / a third of a cup of cream at the end of cooking for a cream of vegetable soup.
Storage
Fridge – Allow your soup maker vegetable soup to cool, pack into containers, seal and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer – Once cold, pack into containers, seal and freeze. Store for up to 6 months. I find that with soup maker soups they can separate as they defrost and will need a good stir as they are reheated.
If making an entire batch of this soup for the freezer then add less water at step three. Freeze and then dilute a little once defrosted.
Reheating – Defrost in the fridge overnight, or on the kitchen worktop for a few hours. Reheat your soup in a pan on the stove top, or in a safe container in the microwave.
When using the microwave, I always use a Pyrex jug, it is easier to lift in and out then a bowl, and I prefer not to reheat in plastic.
Hints and tips
- If your soup maker doesn’t have a sauté function, you can sauté the onions briefly in a pan before putting them in the soup maker. If you decide to skip the sauté stage, don’t leave the oil out. You will miss it if you do, and use few alliums as a proportion of the ingredients.
- When adding water, never completely cover the ingredients. It’s easy to thin a soup that’s too thick, but not vice versa. Here are all my tips to thicken soup.
- Swirl a small amount of boiling water in the empty soup maker jug to get all the soup out, and add it to the rest of the soup. Then clean the jug as below.
- It is far easier to clean a soup maker while it is still warm. Rinse it under the hot tap, fill with warm water and add a few drops of washing up liquid. Set to blend for a few seconds. Then rinse again and leave to dry.
FAQS
I would avoid brassicas – anything of the cabbage family such as any variety of cabbage or brussels sprouts or similar. These will end up too strongly flavoured and bitter.
Similarly, I wouldn’t use anything too strongly flavoured such as fennel. It’s a flavour people can either love or loath, so it’s better to make a specific fennel soup when you know it’ll be well received.
I think that the final soup will taste better if you do. However, if your machine doesn’t have a saute function, then you can use it raw. Simply chop and add with the other ingredients. You can also cook it in a frying pan and add to the soup maker jug as a first step.
The soup maker can’t deal with too large chunks, so it’s better to chop them into manageable sizes. Roughly chopping into about 1′ / 2.5cm chunks is perfect.
Initially skeptical about soup makers, I’ve now become a true convert and enthusiastically recommend them to all my friends. I absolutely love my Ninja Food Blender and Soup Maker (known as the Ninja Foodi Cold & Hot Blender in the USA), using it multiple times a week during the colder months.
I believe it’s definitely worth the investment because it delivers fantastic results with minimal effort, allowing you to set it and forget it while it works on its own.
As for whether it’s cheaper than making soup on the stovetop, that likely depends on the recipe—some soups can be whipped up quickly in a saucepan, while others may take longer. However, using the soup maker won’t increase your costs, and for certain soups, it might even save you money.
Soup Maker Vegetable Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion (1)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 carrot (2)
- 2 parsnips (2)
- 2 sticks celery (4)
- 1 medium potato (5)
- 1 stock cube
- ½ tsp garlic granules
- water (as per the recipe)
Instructions
- Saute the onion – Peel the onion and cut into quarters, put into the in the soup maker along with the peeled garlic, and pulse briefly. Then scrape any onion off the sides to the bottom of the jug.Add the oil to the soup maker and select the sauté function. Allow to cook for the programme length until the onion is translucent and fragrant. Cooking time will vary according to the model of soup maker.If you do not have a sauté function, then you can skip this stage and throw all the ingredients, including the raw onion into the jug. Or, sauté the onion in a pan first; I do prefer the onion sautéed for the extra flavour this brings to the soup.1 medium onion, 1 tbsp olive oil
- Prepare the vegetables – While the onion is cooking prepare the vegetables. Carrot & Parsnip – peel if necessary – I only bother if the skin is blemished. Top and tail and cut into chunks about 1 inch / 2.5cm. Potato – Peel if needed, chop roughly into chunks about 1 inch / 2.5cm.Celery – trim, destring and chop2 carrot, 2 parsnips, 2 sticks celery, 1 medium potato
- Load the soup maker – Once the onion has finished sautéing add the prepared carrot, parsnip, potato and celery to the soup maker.Add the stock cube and the seasoning.Top up with water to about 2 inches / 5 cm BELOW the level of the vegetables.1 stock cube, ½ tsp garlic granules, water (as per the recipe)
- Cook the soup – Put the lid on the jug and select the smooth soup programme and let the soup maker work its magic! Most machines will take about thirty minutes, finishing with a longer blend to make a completely smooth and velvety soup.
- Season to taste – When the machine has finished, taste and pulse in any seasoning as needed. I usually add a little pepper and salt and a generous pat of butter.You can add some more liquid if needed at this stage to thin the soup.
Notes
- Onion – about 100g / 1 medium
- Carrots – 2 medium – about 250g in total
- Parsnips – 2 medium – about 200g in total
- Celery – about 2 stick – about 80g in total. Optional, but even if you don’t like raw celery, it’s worth using. It add a wonderful layer of extra flavour, without making the soup taste of celery.
- Potato – one medium / about 200g
- Use a base with carrot, onions and celery.
- Next, choose from: butternut squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, potato, leeks, turnip or swede. You can use pretty much anything aside from beetroot which will make the soup go a funny colour.
- Have a selection of 5-6 vegetables.
- Aim for no more than 20% of alliums unless you fry them in a pan first. They can rapidly overpower the soup.
- Choose some sweeter vegetables for balance.
- Don’t go too heavy on the more bitter vegetables (turnip can be quite bitter)
- Keep some colour in the mix.
- Add some spice – a little curry powder, chilli, turmeric, coriander or cumin all would work well. Cook with the onion to releases the flavours.
- For a more intense soup roast the vegetables first.
- Fresh lemon juice is a great flavour enhancer for many soups, and works very well here.
- Make the soup richer by adding a knob of butter at the end of cooking and briefly pulse it in. You can also use peanut butter or tahini (which will also thicken the soup)
- Add different fresh herbs at the end of cooking. I like to pulse them in rather than fully blend.
- Pulse in about 80ml / a third of a cup of cream at the end of cooking for a cream of vegetable soup.
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