Soup maker vegetable soup.

I cannot think why a soup made with these vegetables could taste bitter.

The only long shot I can think of is that the courgette was bitter with a high level of curcurbitin in it. This is not common but the recommendation in that case is not to eat it
Here is a reference www.dtbrownseeds.co.uk/Gardening-Advice/Courgette-Bitterness-DTB/

Assuming that is the cause, do not give up heart and try another mixed veg soup, but without courgette.

I would think it could be the courgette too.

If I'm making soup in the soup maker, I always cook the onion a little first, either fry it gently or in some of ths stock in the microwave.

I made cucumber soup last year with a glut of cucumbers - it was the vilest soup I've ever made!
Very bitter and, after all that effort, it went down the loo.

My guess is the stock cube. I don't use stock cubes because of possible ingredients, knowing I can do better on my own.

Sometimes I have to add a bit of sugar to a curry or tomato sauce to adjust seasonings - some herbs can tend bitter in quantity.

Celery can be bitter as well. Again, a bit of sugar/sweetner/ honey (any form) would be my solution.

I use a pot, have no patience to machines - too confusing.

Blame the machine!

I always add just a little sugar to home made tomato soup or sauce.

I can only think it was the courgette. Personally I always follow a recipe rather than just chucking in whatever veg I have - but then I shop according to meal plans and we don’t grow a lot of veg now, so I rarely have anything which needs to be used up. I suggest you find a recipe you like the look of and follow that.

Sounds like courgette problem to me. I've never had any problems with soup maker soup. Never follow a recipe just throw in what's lying around needing eaten. The only snag with that is that it's impossible to make the same soup twice.

I wouldn’t be without my soup maker - no more standing over a pot, adding things bit by bit, stirring, blending. Just press the button and get on with something else.

Thanks,it may well be that. I always thought courgette was pretty innocuous.

Norah The machine can only cook what you put into it. I second everyone who has blamed the courgette. Some of them are quite bitter, others are fine.

Germanshepherdsmum

I wouldn’t be without my soup maker - no more standing over a pot, adding things bit by bit, stirring, blending. Just press the button and get on with something else.

I must be daft. I see no extra effort.

I scrub, peel, chop all the veg at once - onion and garlic first. Saute onions (whilst still peeling chopping) add garlic, saute, add veg, cook at one go, after the garlic. Walk away, come back when I think it's done (20 min or so).

No machine to fiddle with or clean and store, just a pot and spoon.

Elegran

Norah The machine can only cook what you put into it. I second everyone who has blamed the courgette. Some of them are quite bitter, others are fine.

Do those stock cubes never become bitter (age) or taste like chemicals?

I'm equally sure any veg or herb could be bitter.

I have never had a problem with a stock cube. They have always been a good source of flavour and I often use them. The only home-grown herb I have known to be bitter was some parsley which had been allowed to flower - which I was expecting, so didn’t use it.

Norah

Germanshepherdsmum

I wouldn’t be without my soup maker - no more standing over a pot, adding things bit by bit, stirring, blending. Just press the button and get on with something else.

I must be daft. I see no extra effort.

I scrub, peel, chop all the veg at once - onion and garlic first. Saute onions (whilst still peeling chopping) add garlic, saute, add veg, cook at one go, after the garlic. Walk away, come back when I think it's done (20 min or so).

No machine to fiddle with or clean and store, just a pot and spoon.

Have you tried a soup maker though Norah? That’s the only way you could compare the effort factor. I find it much quicker, easier and less messy myself.

More than likely the courgette.

As DH would have said, ‘Shoot the Ba***rd!’ 😂

I too vote for the courgette being the problem. I have had an experience with bitter courgette’s in the past that took me by surprise.
I absolutely love my soupmaker and always wing it with recipes.

Soup makers are wonderful. I make a lovely tomato soup with some economy tomatoes (reduced or those at 69p. a bag) an onion and a Kallo tomato stock cube with a handful of basil leaves. 20 mins later about 2pts of soup to last for days.

Casdon

Norah

Germanshepherdsmum

I wouldn’t be without my soup maker - no more standing over a pot, adding things bit by bit, stirring, blending. Just press the button and get on with something else.

I must be daft. I see no extra effort.

I scrub, peel, chop all the veg at once - onion and garlic first. Saute onions (whilst still peeling chopping) add garlic, saute, add veg, cook at one go, after the garlic. Walk away, come back when I think it's done (20 min or so).

No machine to fiddle with or clean and store, just a pot and spoon.

Have you tried a soup maker though Norah? That’s the only way you could compare the effort factor. I find it much quicker, easier and less messy myself.

I admit to not purchasing one.

Younger daughter has a soup maker, I shall borrow it and attempt.

Out of interest - the work, to me, seems the scrubbing, peeling, chopping, and pre-sauting onions and garlic - surely the machine does not do all that?

It is much quicker and easier. Mine doesn’t require onions and garlic to be sautéed first, unlike my old one (no difference in taste) - literally everything goes in together, chunky or smooth options are selected, button pressed and that’s it. No attention needed until the soup is ready. Obviously veg has to be prepared first as you would if making soup in a pan, but apart from the knife and chopping board there are only the glass jug and the lid of the soup maker to wash up, no pan, spoon or blender.

You can also put bigger pieces of vegetable in if you’re going to make a smooth soup, or if you’re lazy like me, you can even buy a pack of pre prepared soup mix chopped vegetables in the supermarket, add what bits you’ve got left over in the fridge, and walk away for 20 minutes or so. The only disadvantage I’ve found is that the intermittent chopping noise spooks my dog!

I buy ready chopped veg when it's down to half price or less and freeze them. That makes a base and I can add whatever is around. I once bought up a huge bag of mushrooms for 40p. I roughly chopped them and packed the soup maker. Bit of a mistake. The mushrooms did liquidise easily but the texture was so thick it was more like mushroom mousse than soup. DH loved it though.

Good tip Aveline. You’re making me think about the mushrooms in my freezer, thanks!

Norah some machines saute the onions, garlic and/or other veg. They all will blend it for a smooth soup, if that is the option you choose. You still have to wash, peel and chop, although for a smooth soup you can usually skip the peeling (a lot of the vitamins etc are just under the peel anyway, so you are not throwing away good nutrition with the peelings) Once you have chucked it all in, you can clear up the chopping apparatus and then make the rest of the meal. No stirring, no blending.