In a previous soup discussion, I was intrigued by some reports on soup making blenders. The one everyone seemed to liked was a Uk brand that I couldn't find in the US, but I found a great alternative on the US amazon site for the cuisinart version.
http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-SBC-100 ... inart+soup

I hope this is a link that gives the 5:2 site credit. This blender was originally overpriced at $270 but now is remarkably priced at $69! I got it earlier this week and love it. It is very well made and would be a great price if it was just a blender. the soup making feature is very versatile, which a stir function and lots of controls to decide how long and hot to heat the food. I like that it lets you sauté the onions and garlic before adding other ingredients. It comes with a nice cookbook but a more interesting, Uk style book is here. http://www.lakeland.co.uk/content/docum ... me=Skimbit

I made a nice lentil soup with only 5 minutes of effort tonight. Earlier this week I made a red chili mole sauce that was really great.