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Each fall, when the weather starts to get colder, Richard Buchsbaum adjusts the menu at the upscale Cantina 1511 in Charlotte, N.C. One of the first things this executive chef adds is a traditional Mexican pozole — a thick stew of hominy, pork, onions, garlic and chiles.
"There is such a palate of colors and flavors available in all cuisines, and especially in Mexican, why limit yourself to just one? There's certainly more [to the soup course] than just tortilla soup, and I try to offer all of that," says Buchsbaum, who also menus a "sopa" made with blackened habeneros and snapper or red fish in a fish stock.
If you, like Buchsbaum, want to stir up soup sales, why not enhance your menu with offerings that deliver the unique flavors of regional Mexico and Latin America? And while you can and probably should feature tortilla soup (which customers have come to expect), don't be afraid to include more creative, ethnic varieties of savory soups and stews. It's a move that could add zest to your menu, impress patrons and boost sales. And it won't require significant investments of time, money or resources since many soups and stews can be made with ingredients you have on hand.
Qdoba Mexican Grill's approach to soup is a case in point. The company has always sold tortilla soup and a "Naked Burrito" made without the tortilla and cilantro lime rice. Last January, the chain combined the two favorites to create its Mexican Gumbo made with the tortilla soup's chicken stock, a bowl of cilantro lime rice, and a customer's choice of black or pinto beans, protein or grilled vegetables, and one of five salsas, all topped with cheese or sour cream and crispy tortilla strips. It was so successful when it was test-marketed in Colorado that Qdoba is rolling it out nationwide this fall.
"It has really turned into a great item for us," says Ted Stoner, the chain's director of strategic product development, who notes it has outsold tortilla soup five to one in the stores where it has been tested. "We're using ingredients we already have, so we're not adding to our food costs. It adds depth to our menu and is something that fits into our nouveau Mex concept." The chain's only extra expense was the bigger bowls in which the gumbo is served, Stoner notes.
Qdoba Mexican Grill's Mexican Gumbo
Peanut and Chipotle Cream Soup from "Culinary Mexico" by Daniel Hoyer
Bolivian Squash Chowder from "Spirit of the Earth"Soups and stews have long been a staple of Mexican and Latin cooking, according to Daniel Hoyer, author, chef and food consultant whose resume includes a stint at Santa Fe's Coyote Café and the cookbook, "Culinary Mexico: Authentic Recipes and Traditions."
In the U.S., those dishes have often been turned into lighter, more appetizer-friendly fare like tortilla soup, Hoyer notes. But in Mexico, they remain the hearty, main course dishes they have been for centuries. In fact, when he travels to rural Mexico, Hoyer finds soups and stews made as rustic, home-style dishes flavored with regional and seasonal ingredients.
Examples he includes in "Culinary Mexico" include Pepeto México (Pork Stew from the State of Mexico), a hearty main dish meal best known in Tonatico in Mexico State; Caldo de Habas con Nopales (Fava Bean Soup with Cactus), a popular item during Lent that he learned to make in Sonora; and Crema de Cacahuate y Chipotle (Peanut and Chipotle Cream Soup), a soup the author first tasted in Cuernavaca that illustrates the Moorish-African influence in Mexican cuisine.
"In Mexico, they don't use ingredients from far away. The ingredients they use reflect the region," Hoyer says, noting that the cooking — despite myriad Spanish and French influences — remains indigenous.
Hence, a soup or stew from Vera Cruz will be laden with seafood (a great option for restaurants with ready access to fresh fish), one from Oaxaca may feature hoja santa, pasilla chiles and chocolate; and one from Bolivia or Peru, like Chupe de Zapallo (Squash Chowder), will get its flavor from the zapallos, the huge, fresh squash found in local produce markets.
Experimenting with ingredients and making the most of what's on hand is key to creative preparation of soups and stews. Do something other than a chile relleno with a poblano pepper, Chris Tripoli of Ala Carte Foodservice Consulting Group in Houston, suggests. "You can cream it up into a great soup," he says.
It's an approach exemplified in the Cream of Jalapeño Soup featured in "A Cowboy in the Kitchen: Recipes from Reata and Texas West of the Pecos" (Ten Speed Press, 1998) and a long-time favorite at Reata Restaurants in Fort Worth and Alpine, Texas. The simple pepper bisque is made by sautéing minced jalapeños with onions and garlic, stirring in avo/Applications/TAR 2.05.15cados, tomatoes and cream, then adding chopped cilantro leaves before serving.
Buchsbaum agrees that putting a twist on tradition can go a long way, as it does in one of Cantina 1511's summer standbys: the Watermelon Gazpacho with Crab-meat that relies on watermelon instead of tomatoes for the base.
But what if a recipe twists tradition too far (will customers really try that watermelon gazpacho)? Or what if it stays too true to tradition (are diners really ready for menudo and pozole)? Not to worry, the experts say.
"What's not to like if you've prepared the recipe correctly and you've used good quality ingredients?" Buchsbaum asks. "Now, they have to be open to trying new things, and not all customers are. But if they're interested in broadening their horizons, they will try it."
Which they can't do if tortilla soup is their only option.
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