Also called a “stick blender” or “hand blender,” the immersion blender is a must-have tool for both kitchen newbies and pro chefs alike thanks to its compact design and its ability to handle a variety of dishes. From zesty charred tomato salsa to creamy mayonnaise, this handy device can blend up just about anything to your desired texture and consistency. But one thing that it stands out as the best at doing is soup-mixing.
Of course, a food processor can tackle a soup recipe as well, and lots of people defer to this appliance for the task due to its beefier motor that can reduce the toughest veggies into mush within minutes. But, if you’ve ever used a food processor to make soup before, then you might’ve already seen food bits blasting everywhere and stray juice droplets decorating the walls of your kitchen — you don’t have to deal with all that with an immersion blender!
Why the immersion blender is the MPV of pureed soups
The magic of the immersion blender lies in its stick design, which gives it excellent control over the texture of your soup. Spot a stray chunk? Simply guide the immersion blender to that exact spot for a precise spike without overdoing the rest of the pot’s content. As long as you’re using a big enough pot that has enough soup within for the bladed end to be fully submerged, there won’t be any splashes or spills. And since the stick blender can dive straight into your pot, the tedious game of transferring the soup between containers is now a thing of the past!
Cleanup is bliss, as you’re left with fewer items to deal with afterward. Instead of scrubbing out a clunky food processor bowl, you only have the bladed bit of the immersion blender to clean. Plus, if you do it right, you will be spared a lot of countertop scrubbing and wall cleaning now that there are no random veggie bits stuck on the wall once you’ve finished cooking your red pepper soup.
Do note, however, that even though we really like the immersion blender as a soup-making tool, its pint-sized frame and small motor mean that pureeing large batches of soup can become pretty tiresome for your wrists after a while. But, for whipping up a cozy bowl of soup for yourself after a long day? Nothing better!
