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Soup season is the best season: one big pot on Sunday, cozy lunches all week, and your place smells amazing.
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The gear is short and sweet, and almost all of it comes from America's Test Kitchen's tests. Start with a Dutch oven, from a budget bare cast-iron pot to ATK's longtime winner. An immersion blender turns roasted veggies into velvety soup right in the pot, so there's no hot-liquid blender drama. A good ladle sounds boring until you try one with a pouring rim, which is why ATK's favorite has one. Then stash leftovers in leakproof glass or freeze single servings in silicone trays. Each card shows the drawback the testers called out.
Who this is not for. Skip this if you'd rather set it and forget it; the Slow Cooker Starter Kit has slow cookers and multicookers for hands-off soups and stews.
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Questions people ask
Bare or enameled cast iron for soup?
Enameled is easier for soup. ATK notes bare cast iron like the Lodge must be dried and oiled after each use, and acidic foods such as tomato soup can damage its seasoning.
Do I need an immersion blender?
Only if you like blended soups. It purees right in the pot, so you skip pouring hot soup into a countertop blender. ATK's winner, the Braun, is a model it has recommended for more than a decade.
How do I freeze soup in portions?
Freeze it in silicone trays like Souper Cubes, then pop the frozen blocks into zipper-lock bags, the way ATK did in its test, so you can reuse the trays.
Best dutch oven
