El Restaurante Mexicano
Winter 2000
Cover photo by Lois Ellen Frank
Savory Soups
Warm Up Menus, and Profits, With Mexican-inspired Soups and Stews
By Kathleen Furore
Editor, El Restaurante Mexicano
©2000 Maiden Name Press LLC
Soup has always been an at-home comfort food. Now soup is emerging as a popular choice in restaurants, too, a choice Mexican and Southwestern-style eateries can capitalize on by offering the kind of ethnic soups and stews that have always been key in Mexican cuisine.
"I used to do restaurant reviews. And if I went into a Mexican restaurant and there wasn't soup on the menu I would turn around and walk out because to me that wasn't really a Mexican restaurant," says Marilyn Tausend, Mexican food expert and owner of Culinary Adventures, a company that organizes culinary trips to Mexico. "Soups really are so important. It's hard to think of a meal in Mexico without soup; people even eat it for breakfast!"
"I was just in Oaxaca for Day of the Dead. And [the people there] eat soup at almost every meal," says Donna Nordin, chef/owner of the acclaimed Café Terra Cotta in Tucson and Scottsdale, Ariz. "Sometimes at night it's even more important because they eat their big meal earlier in the day and when they eat later they tend to eat lighter."
Statistics, in fact, show the demand for both traditional and more trendy soups is on the rise, according to a FoodWire soup survey conducted by Market Facts, Inc. for Land O'Lakes Foodservice.
An impressive 62 percent of operators who responded to the survey said at least three of every ten customers order soup for lunch or dinner, whether as a stand-alone meal or to accompany an entree. And while 43 percent of consumers surveyed said they look for classic soups, 30 percent said they prefer exciting new soup flavors when dining.
Tortilla Soup
Whether you operate a small taqueria, a sit-down family dining restaurant, or a more upscale Mexican eatery, there are soups and stews appropriate for your menu.
A popular offering at Café Terra Cotta is the Tortilla Soup. Tortilla soup, in fact, is great for most any Mexican or Southwestern restaurant since it's such a basic yet classic offering. "Everyone has their own kind of tortilla soup," says Nordin, who notes her version is "a standard; it's here to stay."
Nordin's interpretation is a chicken stock-based soup flavored with chiltepín, salsa fresca, onion, garlic, bay leaf, oregano and peppercorns, then garnished with tortilla strips, avocado, lime and grated Monterey Jack cheese. Other versions might include crema, beans, tomatoes, epazote, or bits of chicken, depending on the region from which it's derived.
Another Café Terra Cotta favorite: the Southwestern Gazpacho, a vegetable-laden soup that's a great warm-weather offering and works year-round in moderate climates.
Nordin says she discovered a new soup at a restaurant during her most recent trip to Mexico. "One of the most interesting soups we found was a Sopa de Guias, a green, brothy soup made with the leaves and stems of the zucchini, cubed zucchini and zucchini blossoms, and the herbs chepil and piojito," she says. Chepil is a tiny, pungent herb that's not as strong as epazote, and piojito is a tiny green herb Nordin describes as "kind of minty."
Ernesto's Mexican Food in Sacramento, Calif. has an entire section on its menu devoted to soups. Owner Ernesto Jiminez offers customers basics such as Chicken Tortilla Soup – fresh chicken breast in a broth with rice and corn, topped with avocado and tortilla strips; and the House Special Chicken soup – chicken in a tomato broth with cilantro, tomatoes, onions and hot peppers. He also includes the Los Cabos: large tiger shrimp, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, rice and onions is a spicy broth; and Albondigas, an authentic Mexican meatball soup made with fresh onions, cilantro and traditional spices in a rice broth.
And at Fandango in Seattle, Wash., chef/owner Chris Keff gives customers the choice of soups and stews including a Chile Pasilla soup with Swiss chard, the popular Walnut Chipotle soup and the main-dish Oaxacan Green Mole, a main-dish pork stew.
Chicken & Green Chili Stew
It's a sure thing you'll add authenticity, and keep customers happy, by offering a variety of soups to your menu. But will an expanded soup menu be good for your bottom line, too?
The answer is yes, statistics and restaurant industry personnel say.
"Because they can be prepared well in advance and perform well after long holding periods, soups offer an opportunity to increase the check total with minimal labor costs and without causing additional work during busy day parts," the FoodWire survey says.
Soups also give operators the opportunity to add low-cost menu items that have high profit margins. And they offer chefs ways to experiment with new and exotic spices and ingredients, the survey notes.
"The margins on soup are great. I'll make more on a $5.75 bowl of soup than on a $9.75 shrimp appetizer," Keff agrees. She notes, however, that restaurant owners must consider overall revenues when deciding the role soup will play in their menu makeup.
Keff, for example, recently decided to include soups in the appetizer portion of the menu instead of in a separate section where she previously had listed them. "This helps me give the appearance of having lower prices. If I put soups, which cost a little more than $5.00, in the appetizer section, it helps me give the appearance of lower prices. So I can put on more expensive appetizers without the appetizer category appearing too high-priced."
Other ways operators can capitalize on the profit potential of soups and stews is to offer them as one-dish meals. Recipes like Keff's Oaxacan Green Mole and Land O'Lakes' Chicken & Green Chili Stew are examples of dishes that would make great entree offerings.
Billing them as one-dish meals seems an especially good idea considering almost half of the consumers in the FoodWire survey said soup is substantial enough to be considered a meal by itself. Offering larger portions, and serving them with tortillas, fruit or salad on the side (and perhaps in a bread bowl or tortilla shell) lets operators increase ticket prices, the survey suggests.
Another benefit: Customers who order soup usually perceive it as a light meal and might be more inclined to order dessert. "A special featuring soup, a beverage and dessert may benefit check totals and give consumers a balanced dining experience," the FoodWire survey says.
Recipe courtesy of Ernesto's Mexican Food,
Sacramento, Calif.
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Los Cabos Soup Makes 4 servings | |||
| 24 | med.-size shrimps, peeled and cleaned | ||
| 2 | med. carrots, sliced | ||
| 2 | zucchini, sliced | ||
| 1/2 | lb. mushrooms, sliced | ||
| 1 | white onion, sliced | ||
| Salt to taste | |||
| Pepper to taste | |||
| Cumin to taste | |||
| 1 | c. tomato puree | ||
| 1 | t. mashed garlic | ||
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Bring 6 cups water to a boil. Add tomato puree, salt, pepper, garlic, and cumin. Add vegetables, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Add shrimps and let boil for 3 minutes. Serve in a bowl and add lemon juice to taste.
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Photo and recipe courtesy of La Moderna Pasta
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La Moderna Spicy Vermicelli Soup Serves 6 to 8 | |||
| 1 | pack La Moderna Vermicelli | ||
| 1 | 14-oz. can ready-to-serve vegetable broth | ||
| 1 | 6-oz. jar of salsa | ||
| 1 | 15-oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained | ||
| 1/3 | c. fresh, chopped cilantro or parsley | ||
| 1/3 | t. ground cumin | ||
| 1/4 | t. pepper | ||
| 2 | T. grated parmesan cheese | ||
| Heat broth to boiling in Dutch oven. Stir in remaining ingredients except cheese; reduce heat to medium. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.
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Photo and recipe courtesy of
Land O'Lakes, Inc.
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Chicken & Green Chili Stew Makes 12 1-cup servings | |||
| 1 | T. vegetable oil | ||
| 6 | oz. onion, chopped | ||
| 3 | c. chicken broth | ||
| 1 | T. jalapeño peppers, finely chopped | ||
| 2 | t. dried oregano leaves | ||
| 1 | t. ground coriander | ||
| 1 | t. ground cumin | ||
| 1/2 | t. ground cinnamon | ||
| 12 | oz. chopped canned green chiles, drained (or similar amount of fresh chiles) | ||
| 1 lb. 8 | oz. cooked black beans | ||
| 1 lb. 8 | oz. cooked dark red kidney beans | ||
| 2 | t. vegetable oil | ||
| 1 | lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-in. cubes | ||
| 1 | T. minced garlic | ||
| 3 | c. Land O'Lakes sour cream (regular, light or no-fat) | ||
| For toppings: | Sour cream; sliced green onions; chopped cilantro; shredded Land O'Lakes cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese as needed/to taste. | ||
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Heat 1 T. oil. Sauté onions until golden. Add chicken broth, jalapeños, oregano, coriander, cumin and cinnamon. Cook 5 minutes to blend flavors. Add chiles and beans. Continue cooking 10 minutes.
Heat 2 t. oil in skillet; add chicken and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until chicken is no longer pink. Add chicken mixture to soup. Continue cooking until heated through. Stir in sour cream.
Top each bowl with desired toppings. Set aside to cool slightly.
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Reprinted with
permission from
Contemporary Southwest:
The Café Terra Cotta Cookbook by Donna Nordin. Photography by William McKellar. Copyright © 2000. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA
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Southwestern Gazpacho Serves 8 | |||
| 6 | med. tomatoes, peeled and seeded | ||
| 2 | medium white onions | ||
| 5 | c. tomato juice | ||
| 2 | med. green peppers, seeded | ||
| 2 | med. red bell peppers, seeded | ||
| 2 | sm. cucumbers, peeled and seeded | ||
| 1 | poblano chile, seeded and deveined | ||
| 1/4 | c. balsamic vinegar | ||
| 1/2 | c. olive oil | ||
| 1 | T. minced garlic | ||
| 1 | t. salt | ||
| 1 | t. black pepper | ||
| 1/2 | t. cayenne pepper | ||
| Coarsely chopped cilantro, for garnish | |||
| 1/2 | Sour cream, for garnish | ||
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Puree tomatoes and one of the onions in a food processor or blender until smooth, adding some of the tomato juice to liquefy. Dice the peppers, cucumbers, chile, and remaining onion and stir them into the puree. Whisk the vinegar, oil, and garlic together in another bowl. Stir in diced vegetables and the tomato puree. Add the balance of the tomato juice, making sure the ingredients are well blended. Whisk in the seasonings, adjusting to taste. Chill and serve in soup bowls, garnished with chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream. Note: For an additional kick, add a jigger of beer to each bowl before serving. Also try adding yellow bell peppers when available for color. Variation (see photo): Instead of mixing the diced vegetables into the tomato puree in step 1, layer a small portion of each in a juice glass, then unmold it into the center of a deep plate or a shallow soup bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients and spoon them around the vegetable "towers."
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Recipe courtesy of Ernesto's Mexican Food,
Sacramento, Calif.
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Albondigas Soup Makes 8 servings | |||
| 2 | lbs. ground beef | ||
| 2 | eggs | ||
| 1 | lg. yellow onion, diced | ||
| 1 | bunch cilantro, chopped | ||
| 2 | tomatoes, chopped | ||
| 2 | cloves garlic, diced | ||
| 1-1/2 | c. uncooked rice | ||
| 1-1/2 | t. salt, or to taste | ||
| 1 | t. pepper, or to taste | ||
| 1/2 | t. cumin | ||
| 10-14 | c. water | ||
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The Albondigas:
Mix ground beef, half bunch of cilantro, 1/2 c. uncooked rice, 2 eggs and half of the salt, pepper, and cumin and 1 clove garlic (or to taste). Divide mixture into 1-ounce balls (large walnut size), rolling them between the palms of your hands until firm and round. Place Albondigas on a lightly oiled baking sheet. The broth: Using canola oil in large pan, combine onions, half bunch of cilantro, tomatoes, and 1 cup of uncooked rice and sauté for about 5-10 minutes. At this point, add water and the rest of the salt, pepper, cumin and garlic. Bring water to a boil, and add Albondigas one by one. Let simmer for about 30 minutes or until the meatballs float in the broth.
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Tortilla Soup
Reprinted with
permission from Contemporary Southwest: The Café Terra Cotta Cookbook by Donna Nordin. Photography by William McKellar. Copyright © 2000. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA
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Tortilla Soup Serves 6 | |||
| 2 | T. olive oil | ||
| 1 | sm. onion, chopped | ||
| 2 | qts. basic chicken stock | ||
| 1 | t. chopped garlic | ||
| 1 | bay leaf | ||
| 1/2 | t. oregano | ||
| 3-4 | peppercorns | ||
| 2 | chiltepín | ||
| 2 | c. salsa fresca (your own recipe) | ||
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |||
| Corn oil for frying | |||
| 4 | corn tortillas, cut into strips | ||
| 1 | ripe avocado, sliced thin | ||
| 1 | lime, cut into 12 wedges | ||
| 1/4 | c. Monterey Jack cheese, grated | ||
| Heat oil in a large pot and sauté the onion until soft. Add stock, garlic, bay leaf, oregano, peppercorns, add chiltepín and simmer for 1 hour. Puree 1-1/2 cups of salsa fresca and add to the soup. Remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fill deep saucepan with corn oil to a depth of 2 inches and heat to 375°F. (If you don't have an oil thermometer, heat oil until a piece of tortilla dropped in the oil sizzles immediately, but don't let the oil start smoking.) Fry the tortilla strips until golden brown and crisp. Divide the fried tortilla strips into wide soup bowls. Add 2 or 3 slices of avocado, a lime wedge, and some grated cheese to each bowl. Pour in hot broth, add a dollop of salsa, and serve immediately, with the additional lime wedges on the side. NOTE: If you prefer not to deep-fry the tortillas, brush them lightly with oil before cutting into strips and bake on a cookie sheet in a 350°F oven until dry and crisp.
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