Soup has traditionally been served mainly as a satisfying starter or side, but as soups gain more substance, they’re increasingly becoming the star of the show—and not just when it’s cold outside. Soups are versatile and easy to customize because consumers can add or omit toppings to make them their own, and they also offer options for everyone. Consumers can choose from the likes of seafood, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, organic, vegetarian, comfort and gluten-free soups, just to name a handful. In fact, soups are sure to add to any customers’ dining experience and enhance restaurants’ sales and profits to boot.
Spice it up
Offering different soups to consumers is a great way to introduce new flavors and ingredients. Technomic’s 2018 Left Side of the Menu: Soup and Salad report shows that 34% of consumers are interested in trying more ethnic soups and 30% are more apt to order soups with spicy flavors. Use on-trend, Asian-inspired ingredients, such as ginger and lemongrass, or Latin-influenced additions of cilantro or avocado to set the menu up for success.
Additionally, Technomic’s Soup and Salad report reveals that the fastest-growing soup flavors at limited service restaurants are Asian, spicy, pepper and Italian, while vegan soups have grown 29% year-over-year. For full-service restaurants, sweet, miso and gluten-free soups lead the charge. Adding soups that incorporate these flavorful inspirations may put restaurant operators ahead of the curve in menu innovation.
Keep them coming back
Signature soups are also craveable. In fact, Technomic’s Soup and Salad report found that 39% of consumers (including 45% of millennials) say they will visit certain restaurants because they enjoy the soup they offer. Signature soups that consumers have come to expect and enjoy include Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup, Capital Grille’s Caramelized French Onion Soup and Bubba Gump’s Old Fashioned New England Clam Chowder.
Looking to create a signature soup? Get creative. Ask customers what jazzes their tastebuds. Ask yourself, “How can I offer something familiar but still give it a signature?” For example, tomato bisque is a classic comfort soup—consider adding some fresh herbs or serving it with a side of croissant-croutons to put a personalized stamp on it. Start with a strong base and then let those creative juices flow. And, of course, make sure that quality ingredients are part of the plan. Quality ingredients yield quality soups and consumers are looking for those buzz words to help them decide what to buy. Technomic’s Soup and Salad report shows that 80% of consumers say they are more likely to buy soup described as real, 71% say the same about soup described as natural and 71% say so about soup with no artificial ingredients. Consumers are increasingly a soup savvy bunch and menu choices need to cater to that crowd.
Showcase the season
Lastly, many soups include vegetables and even fruits, so adapt soup offerings to the season. Cold-weather faves such as French onion, chili and New England clam chowder are best served hot, while gazpacho, corn chowder and cold potato-leek soup fare better during the sultry days of summer. Incorporate farm-fresh ingredients into the mix as weather permits.
Soup can be elegant, nutritious and even exciting, sowhether winter, spring, summer or fall—soup’s on.
This post is sponsored by Blount Fine Foods