How does a Vitamix heat soup? We get this question all the time in the Raw Blend office and I thought I would take the time to explain exactly how Vitamix can cook steaming hot soups in minutes. It is important to note that Vitamix Blenders do not have a cooking mechanism. There is no miniature oven inside nor does it have a switch to activate any heating element.
How does a Vitamix heat soup?
Vitamix heats using friction heat. Imagine if you could run your hands together 500 times a second how hot they would get… well the same principal is happening on the blades. The blades are spinning at over 500 times seconds which creates friction energy that will boil cold water in 8 minutes. The temperature will increase by 10 degrees every minute. This is the time to add in that you should never have to sharpen your blades as Vitamix blades are already blunt.
Blunt blades plus a powerful motor is what sets Vitamix apart from other blenders. The only time you need to ever remove your blades is if you have accidentally damaged them by leaving a metal spoon or similar inside your container. To watch a video on removing a Vitamix blade please see HERE.
When making soup all you need to do is add in your raw ingredients and blend on HIGH speed for about 4-5 minutes.
Can Vitamix cook meat?
No. Vitamix can not cook any meats and we recommend that you don’t do this no matter how inventive you are feeling. If you are wanting to add any meats to your soup you must cook them separately and then add them to your soup.
We also recommend cooking vegetables like potatoes as these are not recommended to be eaten raw. Read more about the dangers of raw potatoes HERE.
It is also handy to note that as you are not really cooking the vegetables, they are more being heated up which means you retain the nutrients. This is why raw foodists love Vitamix Blenders. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that if you are wanting to keep most of your live food enzymes intact only blend your soup for around 3-4 minutes. The Vitamix will heat up around 10 degrees every minute. It’s always good to keep a kitchen thermometer handy if you are wanting to be exact.
The optimal food temperature for Raw Foodists is around 40 degrees Celsius. Any higher and you will begin to destroy precious enzymes. It’s always best to keep in mind as well that due to the fact that you aren’t cooking on a stove, a little bit of each ingredient goes a long way!
So if you are using chilli or garlic remember even the smallest amount is going to pack a powerful punch! It’s always a good idea to follow a Vitamix recipe when starting to make soups in your blender for the first time.
If you don’t like the taste it’s most likely due to the fact that you aren’t use to raw foods. I’ve had numerous customers mentioning that they hate the taste of a certain soup. For example: Broccoli. Not a lot of people like the raw broccoli soups so it’s best to lightly steam the broccoli before hand and this makes a huge difference. Your taste buds will always become use to this after a while and they will soon become your favourite recipes!
So what are you waiting for? It’s time to get a nourishing hit of fresh vegetables and give your soul a warm soup hug!
To shop our range of Vitamix Blenders CLICK HERE!
Happy Blending!
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Hi. Are there any less expensive blenders that can make raw soup the same way vitamix does?
Hi Danny,
There are lots of Vitamix copycat blenders on the market but none that will perform and last like a Vitamix. Happy Blending!
This blender cooks with a heating element
https://tinyurl.com/yynr8je8
You never really answered the question… I’ll help you out, it heats the soup due to friction.
Hi Zack, thanks for your comment 🙂 Sorry if I confused anyone but I mentioned that in the Blog. “When making soup all you need to do is add in your raw ingredients and blend on HIGH speed for about 4-5 minutes. The friction heat is what warms up your ingredients caused by the high – speed blade action.”
no you didn’t Zack didn’t read. its called Instagram syndrome, if it cant be explained in 2000 characters or less it didn’t explain it at all….
Well at least we all know now that the Vitamix heats due to Friction. Sorry that my wording wasn’t to your liking. Happy Blending! If you have any further queries please don’t hesitate to call us on 07 3376 7630 or email at [email protected] – Have a wonderful day!
Does the heat generated from the friction heat destroy any nutrients from the vegetable or fruits?
It can destroy some of the nutrients but nowhere near as much as when you cook a soup for hours on a stove top. We’re not saying that it’s a bad thing to cook on a stove though. Always fun to try a soup in the VITAMIX though and taste the difference 🙂
A recipe for butternut squash soup calls for 1/4 flour. How is the flour cooked?
Hi Carole,
Thank you for your comment. You can try our recipe for Pumpkin soup which doesn’t have flour – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoQGXKCOvw8
I have never made a soup in the Vitamix with flour to thicken it.
I tried your recipe for broccoli cheese soup with my Vitamix 6300 series .. the directions said to set vitamix on the hot soup program and allow programmed cycle to complete .
It seemed the machine whirled away for at least five minutes and then I decided to stop the machine myself . … the soup was well blended but not steaming hot yet but hot enough to eat .. so I’m wondering if the hot soup program is working properly .
The Smoothie setting stops on its own since I use it all the time .. Thank you and the soup
was delicious !
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for your comment.
This sounds like something you’ll need to get in touch with Vitamix directly with. We don’t have the Vitamix 6300 series in Australia but I’m sure you could always use it manually when making a soup.
Just follow the speed instructions on this recipe and you should be fine. We do recommend getting your machine looked at though to see if there is an issue with the dial settings. Glad you enjoyed the soup 🙂
So how do I make a cold smoothie without melting all the ice with this “friction” concept of yours???
Hi Paul, just watch all our video recipes on our youtube channel. You don’t need to blend smoothies for as long as soups.
Every minute the contents heats up about 10 degrees Celsius. (roughly) Hope this helps. Happy Blending!
Which models of vitamix make soup?
Hi Kris, all of the household ones will make a soup. There are some commercial blenders that won’t make soup. 🙂
Hi! Would you recommend buying the A2300i as my first Vitamix? Also, this one can make a soup, nut butter and cold desserts, right? Tried to clarify with the manual but couldn’t find anything clear. Thanks!!
Sorry for the late reply. Yes the A2300 is a great model and you wouldn’t be disappointed. Yes all all full size Vitamix models can make soups, ice creams and nut butters 🙂 Any questions please let us know. Happy Blending!
hi there, i dont have a vitamix but looking into it. im really into raw soups. i read where you say blend no more than 3 – 4 minutes to keep it raw but it some recipes i looked at on this site say 5-6 minutes. if it says that do i just keep it at 3 – 4 minutes to keep it raw?
thanks,
julie
Hi Julie! The Vitamix usually heats around 10 degrees celcius per minute so it’s best to keep blending around 3-4 minutes to preserve as many enzymes as possible. 5-6 minutes is if you want it steaming hot. I would invest in a small kitchen thermometer as they are very helpful when it comes to soup recipes in the Vitamix. I’m not too sure how it would go in a regular blender though.