Last year, I bought a Vitamix at Costco. I had been wanting one for a while, but lets face it, they’re expensive. They had a compact model, the 5200c, in stock at the store for considerably less than other models. A little research showed that the only difference between the 5200 and 5200c was that you got a smaller carafe – 48 oz vs. 64 oz. Since it is just the two of us, that seemed like a better option. Plus, the smaller carafe let it fit under the cupboards on the counter.
We use the Vitamix almost daily. We mostly use it for green smoothies, nut milks and sometimes to grind wheat berries for whole wheat flour. I’ve never tried making soup in it, although that is one of the advertised features.
I got a lovely surprise this anniversary. My husband gave me the new Vitamix Pro 750. The main reason we got a new one is that it is advertised to be 40% quieter. My only complaint with the Vitamix is that it is loud! I’ve taken to wearing hearing protection when blending at high speeds. Turns out that the Vitamix 750 is much quieter at lower speeds, but still pretty loud at higher ones. Although it is still loud, we decided to keep it because of the pre-set features. It does an amazing job on smoothies. It adjusts the speed depending on the ingredients. I rarely have to use the tamper, only if I didn’t add enough fluid. It also has a clean cycle which spins very fast and does a better job cleaning the carafe than I did with the 5200c. I don’t think I was running it long enough.
Among the five presets is one for soup. I had wanted to try making soup and this pre-set made it tempting. The first soup I tried was a tomato-roasted red pepper. It actually turned out very well, with just some cans and jars I had in the pantry. Yesterday, I decided to try a broccoli cream soup to use up some broccoli/cauliflower florets I had in the refrigerator. I kind of winged it, but was pleasantly surprised at how well it turned out. It was rich, creamy, satisfying, and vibrantly green. It was a delicious, healthy way to get in a big serving of vegetables.
Here’s the method I used, but I’m sure it’s open to interpretation.
Cream of Broccoli Soup – Vitamix Style
- 2 12 oz bags of broccoli and cauliflower florets
- 2 cups of sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups of fresh baby spinach
- 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup of cashew milk
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 450ºF.
- Toss one bag of broccoli and cauliflower florets and 2 cups of mushroom slices with a teaspoon of olive oil, salt, pepper and nutritional yeast. Roast for 15 minutes or until florets are starting to brown.
- Steam or microwave the other bag of broccoli and cauliflower florets until fork tender.
- In a high speed blender carafe, place ingredients in order given: broth, cashew milk, garlic powder, onion powder, spinach, steamed veggies, and half of roasted veggies. Blend at high speed for 5 – 6 minutes until blended and hot. If you have a Vitamix with a soup preset, you can use that.
- Take the rest of the roasted veggies (save a few for garnish) and place in carafe. Pulse a few times to chop.
- Pour into soup bowls and garnish with saved roasted veggies.
What a shame. Using an oven? The Vitamix will cook the broccoli. All in one step. Less mess too.
I roast veggies all the time. No need to roast before hand, but it gives it a nice flavor.