But my husband got me this Cuisinart for Christmas because he thought the concept was awesome. So I smiled and said Thanks and had him put it on the counter. A couple of weeks cuisinart soup maker later I felt like I should use it. None of the soups in the book it came with appealed to me. I followed the instructions and it felt like there were a lot of steps.
Cover the blender jar and stir, using about 10 quick bursts to break up the onion. Sauté until softened, stirring occasionally. Add the broth, carrots, celery, salt, pepper and thyme; stir to mix. Set timer for 15 minutes and temperature on High to bring mixture to a boil.
You need time to chop, slice, sauté and stir—which occupies all your burners and leaves Burj Khalifa-sized stack of pots and pans in your sink at task’s end. When I do get a chance to make soup, I always make a giant mess. Every once in a while a product pops up that makes you think… Why has no one thought of this before?
The Cuisinart SSB1U Soup Maker is just that. Combine a high power blender from one of the world leaders in kitchenware with a fast boil kettle, and you kind of see where this product is going. The cuisinart griddler elite Soup Maker and Blender is as sleek an appliance as I’ve seen. With its glistening charcoal finish and easy-to-read bright red LED displays, it’s like something out of the dashboard of a Bentley.
Once soup boils, switch to Medium for 30 minutes, stirring gently on occasion. After 10 minutes, slowly and carefully add the chicken through the lid opening. After another 10 minutes lapses, slowly add egg noodles through the lid opening. Once time expires add the chopped parsley. Making a soup is as simple as browning the vegetables in the blender, adding the stock and whizzing it up.
Whoever came up with the advertising slogan, “Soup is good food” was spot on. And good for you, too, especially when you make it yourself. Cuisinart is set to introduce (sorry U.S., looks like just U.K. for now) the Cuisinart Soup Maker in September 2009.
The name may be uncomplicated and accurately reflect the simple nature of soup, but this blender-meets-heater is all business. Now, the food preparation we can handle. Bring a state-of-the-art soup maker into the equation, and that changes everything. Nothing quite beats a soul-warming, homemade soup. And with the weather looking every so slightly rainy these next few weeks, there’s no doubt we’ll be turning to home cooked soups a little more often. Great soup, however, is an undertaking.