Today's Special Value

[Deb213]

First, I bought my Vitamix the last time it was a TSV and I love it!

HOWEVER, be aware of this. I have watched the presentations for years and waited until the time was right for me to make the purchase. In all of the years that I have watched the presentations, I have NEVER heard them tell the viewer that, regarding the hot soup recipes specifically, there is additional cooking required! 

My TSV came with a Soup recipe cookbook and I had been looking forward to making some hot soups this Winter. As I reveiwed the recipes, I see that there is much prepping of the ingredients BEFORE it goes into the Vitamix. 

An example is the Spiced Carrot Soup recipe. You have to bake several of the ingredients in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes!

This one really got me...for the Beef Stock recipe, you have to heat a pot of the ingredients and simmer for 8-10 HOURS!!! The Chicken Stock recipe calls for cooking the ingredients in a slow cooker for 8-10 HOURS!!

The presentations, (including today's), make it look like you just throw all these raw things in, flip the switch and you have hot soup 6 minutes later. Not so much. 

Really wish they would be more transparent about that aspect of the Vitamix. I have yet to make a soup because of the inordinate amount of time required to prep. 

[Kachina624]

@Deb213    Thanks for bringing this to our attention.  You could, of course, reduce those cooking times drastically by using a pressure cooker.

[4kitties]

What does the vitamix do to the soup?  Is it just used to purée the ingredients?

If you cook it ahead, then it is already soup. 

I have to say, I am not familiar with the sales presentation as I have never watched one about the vitamix.  

[RollTide2008]

I wouldn’t expect to be able to make stock in blended. I get making soup in a blender with ingredients that already completely cooked. That just a matter of mashing it all together and the friction making it hot. I can’t believe anyone would think the friction from a blender would cook a carrot soup from raw carrots.

[Sooner]

There are many soups you can make without cooking the ingredients first.

If I make soup with squash or something like that, to make it quicken I might put them in a glass measuring cup with a little water to steam/microwave cook them before I throw them in the Vitamix.  Otherwise, some no cooking needed or desired.

And also we often throw in leftover carrots, asparagus, peas or other things to make soup in it.  It's great for using up dabs of leftovers.  Gazpacho, served cold with no cooking, is another popular dish with us that is so easy in the Vitamix.

You don't HAVE to make a big deal of it to make soup.  

[Carmie]

You can always buy canned or boxed stock to make soup and micowave your carrots.

i make my soup from scratch the old fashioned way....on the stove top with no premade stocks.

I have a Vitamix....or as I call it...a glorified blender.  Buying it was the dumbest and most expensive mistake I ever made in the kitchen.

[HonestLife]

I've found that the recipes in the included books can be achieved using shortcuts. But you are correct in that the presentations eliminated what's required before you can achieve the results shown. I have a Vitamix and found I can make soups in my Pressure Cooker quickly and tasty. Besides, Vitamix at it's highest speed for soups blows out my ears! 

[On It]

I finally ordered one this morning. I am hoping it will bring some variety to the limited number of foods I can eat with my acid reflux problem.

I want to use the frozen ideas with my watermelon "edges." We like the heart of the melon (the part between the seed areas.) I hope to try kale some way. I have not been able to eat it in salad form. I think maybe I can disguise it in a drink.

I appreciate the warnings. Sounds like the Instapot will be a nice companion to from scratch soups. I want to use my leftovers in soups since my husband doesn't like leftover vegetables.

Any more hints or good ideas will be appreciated.

[On It]

Another thought about the Vitamix use is that my mother had difficulty swallowing solid foods. Her esophagus would close and make swallowing very difficult. This would have been ideal for her to get some liquid nourishment and a lot of variety.

[JeanLouiseFinch]

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@Deb213 wrote:

First, I bought my Vitamix the last time it was a TSV and I love it!

HOWEVER, be aware of this. I have watched the presentations for years and waited until the time was right for me to make the purchase. In all of the years that I have watched the presentations, I have NEVER heard them tell the viewer that, regarding the hot soup recipes specifically, there is additional cooking required! 

My TSV came with a Soup recipe cookbook and I had been looking forward to making some hot soups this Winter. As I reveiwed the recipes, I see that there is much prepping of the ingredients BEFORE it goes into the Vitamix. 

An example is the Spiced Carrot Soup recipe. You have to bake several of the ingredients in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes!

This one really got me...for the Beef Stock recipe, you have to heat a pot of the ingredients and simmer for 8-10 HOURS!!! The Chicken Stock recipe calls for cooking the ingredients in a slow cooker for 8-10 HOURS!!

The presentations, (including today's), make it look like you just throw all these raw things in, flip the switch and you have hot soup 6 minutes later. Not so much. 

Really wish they would be more transparent about that aspect of the Vitamix. I have yet to make a soup because of the inordinate amount of time required to prep. 

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I have seen a number of Vitamix soup recipes that are completed in a matter of minutes.  For your stock recipes, are you sure they were for stock and not bone broth?  Bone broth has to simmer for several hours for the collagen to release.