As consumers continue to explore global flavors—nearly a quarter (24%) say they are eating more unique types of ethnic foods and beverages now than they did two years ago, according to Technomic’s 2018 Ethnic Food & Beverage Consumer Trend Report—operators are doing their best to keep up with the demand. One challenge of offering these global flavors, however, can be ensuring that staff get unfamiliar preparations right. What’s more, unusual ingredients can cost a lot more, which leaves operators with the tough choice of how to offer these sought after items without having to price them above what their clientele is willing to pay. Thankfully, there’s a solution that can help with both issues.
Speed-scratch help
Incorporating frozen soups to the back of house is a great way to trim the labor associated with offering new, globally inspired menu items.
By using frozen soups in back-of-house prep, operators don’t have to start completely from scratch for every dish. Plus, because those same frozen soups can be used for a number of different recipes, the cost to add them to the menu is balanced out by the versatility they bring to the table.
Adding variety without adding labor
As labor costs continue to rise in the restaurant industry, food is an area in which operators can cut costs. By using soups as the base of several recipes, restaurants can use one ingredient for an array of dishes without having to spend time and labor on creating those bases from scratch. For example, Campbell’s® Healthy Request® Condensed Tomato Soup lends great base flavor to Red Thai Noodles: Add red curry paste, water, sweet and sour sauce and soy sauce to create a tasty Thai sauce. It can also be used in a more traditional Tomato Florentine Soup: Just add onions, garlic, spinach and Italian seasonings. Both meals offer savory, delicious flavor from around the world but are easy to create thanks to speed-scratch soup.
Other great ways to use soup to make craveable ethnic foods include:
- Make Chicken Curry-Chutney Dipping Sauce for mini curried chicken meatballs. With a base of Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, blended with coconut milk, mango chutney, curry powder, ginger and other spices, chefs can quick-prep a delicious Indian-inspired meal.
- Give chicken wings a spicy twist. To make Sesame Ginger Hot Wings, take Campbell’s Condensed Tomato Soup and mix in stir fry sauce, red wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and Sriracha. Slather the sauce over cooked chicken wings and serve.
- Make a luxurious and indulgent dish of Chicken Saltimbocca, using Campbell’sSignature Sautéed Mushroom and Onion Bisque. Sear or grill chicken breasts, top with prosciutto and mozzarella and bake, then serve with warmed Mushroom and Onion Bisque and a side of sautéed spinach. Garnish with sage and parsley for an Italian-inspired dish that comes together in virtually no time at all.
Adding global flavors to menus is made much easier with speed-scratch ingredients. Giving consumers what they’re looking for—new flavors and ingredients—is crucial for continued success, and with prepared soups, operators can put them on the menu without stressing out kitchen staff or increasing labor needs.
This post is sponsored by Campbell's Foodservice