Soup-er Essentials
Cooking Tools & Utensils for top chef soup
Find the tools that will make life in the kitchen so much more fun!
01
Stock pot
A stock pot is not only the ideal shape for making stock but also works well for boiling corn, pasta, corned beef or seafood. A stock pot that carries out these functions are fairly inexpensive, made of aluminum or stainless steel and are lighter in weight. However, if you want your stock pot to cook heartier soups, stews or chilis, consider investing in one that has a heavy bottom to prevent starchier or dairy based ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pot and scorching. A good size for the home cook is 10-16quarts.
02
Dutch Oven
If you can invest in a second pot that will help you make delicious soups along with a myriad of other delicious meals, this is a must have kitchen pot. The heavy construction of a Dutch oven makes it ideal for simmering and stewing hearty soups, stews. Although it comes with a heftier price-tag, a Dutch oven often lasts a lifetime and is true multi-taskers in the kitchen. They can be used to bake bread, fry chicken, braise a roast, make popcorn, create a one pot meal and they go seamlessly from stove to oven to table. They come in various sizes so choose one that best meets your needs.
03
Immersion Blender
My first small appliance was a hand blender that I bought when I went away to University. Small but mighty, this appliance makes easy work of blending up soups. Unlike a countertop blender, an immersion blender is easier to clean and takes up very little space. You can bring the immersion blender directly to any pot and blend without transferring the hot ingredients. Other uses for an immersion blender include blending hummus, smoothies, salad dressings, mayonnaise and making whipped cream.
04
Ladles
There is only one tool for serving up soup without splashing it everywhere and that is a ladle. It’s long handle and deep bowl makes transferring your delicious soups and stews a breeze. I like to have a large one (6-8oz) for dishing out soup from a large pot and a small one (2-4oz) to use when serving from a smaller pot. Always buy sturdy stainless-steel ladles and they will last forever.
05
Bench Scraper
A bench scraper is an undervalued tool used to transfer your chopped ingredients from your cutting board to your soup pot. It is an efficient extension of your hand and makes both meal prep and clean up a breeze. They are also useful for cutting dough, cleaning out bowls or smashing potatoes and garlic. Once you buy one you will wonder how you ever lived without it.
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