In the wake of COVID-19, operators have dealt with challenges like never before. Balancing nutritional requirements and resident expectations is already like walking a tightrope, and considering the additional vigilance needed to keep residents safe, staff are exhausted. It’s increasingly important to find solutions that ease the burden from your team while maintaining high-quality service.
Serve Scratch-Made Taste
While many chefs feel inclined to make their soups from scratch, switching to a frozen soup saves time and labor without sacrificing quality. Frozen soups deliver the same scratch-made flavor that residents enjoy; the difference is that staff are free to focus their efforts on other areas. With a ready-to-serve soup that has a long-lasting shelf life, it’s easier to offer variety day in and day out, no matter the season.
Reduce Waste and Costs
With frozen prepared soups, you can slack out smaller portions, avoiding the issue of “use it or lose it.” Soup can be served on its own or used as a speed-scratch ingredient to create unique dishes. Sauces, dressings and dips are just a few ways to puts its versatility to the test. This variety of applications helps to minimize ingredient costs and maximize inventory.
Menu Creative Offerings
Frozen prepared soups are also a canvas for chefs to add their own twists.
A signature tomato or marinara sauce – Use roasted red pepper and smoked gouda bisque as a base, and blend olive oil, onion and roasted garlic. Mix in smoked Gouda cheese, oregano, parsley and penne pasta. Add a protein like sausage and garnish with red bell peppers.
Curried shrimp bisque – Use creamy tomato basil bisque as a base. Then combine shrimp, green onions, cream, tomato paste, curry powder and seafood seasoning to create an on-trend dish.
French onion dip or sandwich spread – Turn your French onion soup into an onion dip by adding cream cheese, sour cream, roasted garlic and crispy fried onions. Consider replacing sour cream with Greek yogurt and serve with an array of vegetables.
Red pepper & smoked gouda mayo – Combine roasted red pepper and smoked gouda bisque with mayonnaise and add an innovative flavor to your sandwich offerings or use as a dipping sauce.
Put a New Spin on Customization
Customization can still be integrated in today’s style of serving. While the dining room may be closed, operators can package soup toppings in mini containers for residents to enjoy in their rooms. Think of chili toppings like scallions, avocado and crumbled queso fresco that residents can use to personalize and add pizzazz to their meals.
While nothing is guaranteed in an ever-evolving situation, operators do have control over identifying areas where they need some back-up and adopting solutions that better equip them to care for their residents.
This post is sponsored by Campbell's Foodservice