Tableside pouring and textural contrasts: serving up soups on the winter menu

With the winter months again upon us, soups are once again a staple of the menu – and contemporary presentation is key to their success. That’s the word from chef Gary Johnson, who calls out tableside pouring as a means of spicing up soups with a bit of theatre designed to boost customer engagement.

“The idea is to have all your soup garnishes beautifully presented in the bowl – then the liquid component is set beside it in a ceramic jug,” Gary explains. “The wait staff pour that on and it adds to the whole experience.”

This development has been born of necessity – “it’s the way a lot of soups are being served now, simply because it saves the wait staff from having to carry full bowls of soup out to the table, which makes it difficult to avoid spillages. But it’s also given rise to some clever innovation in the way soups are being put together.”

“A good chef can break down any soup into its component parts ... it’s simply a question of separating the base from the garnish”

Gary says the way the garnishes are layered in the bowl is very important and that with a little creativity chefs are able to create a memorable moment during the pouring. “It could be roasted veal, sweetbreads, porcini mushrooms and then smoked cream leek which comes in the pouring vessel,” he explains. “A good chef can break down any soup into its component parts to do that. It’s simply a question of separating the base from the garnish.

“When the customer orders, say, a lobster bisque, they want to be able to see the lobster in the bowl and then the bisque comes out and is layered over. You might start out with a bowl of lobster meat topped with mascarpone, and once you pour the broth up to the top of the bowl the mascarpone then starts to melt off and the customer can see it dissolving over the soup. If the chef puts some chives inside the mascarpone, then they will reveal themselves as the mascarpone melts.

“The idea is for the customer to actually see the soup developing in front of them. Not only does this deliver some drama, it also brings different aromas to the fore as the process unfolds – you get the scent of the bisque or chowder coming together as the different ingredients react with the hot liquid. This excites the senses and as taste is related to smell it helps whet the customer’s appetite further.”

“The idea is to contrast the softness of the liquid soup with more crunchy or crispy elements”

Layering soups for textural contrast

A further component to the success of contemporary soups on the menu is textural contrast – “it comes down again to layering,” Gary says. “Crispy lentil wafers layered with dried herbs or hard crackers as garnishes – the idea is to contrast the softness of the liquid soup with more crunchy or crispy elements. I’m not a big fan of neutral coloured soups, but I’ve seen some really beautiful presentations recently such as a luscious roasted cauliflower curried soup with some nasturtiums floating on top. These kinds of presentations look fabulous – you might serve a white bean soup with microgreens floating on top, which looks very striking.”

Another emerging presentation trend is that of soup flights – that is, a selection of up to half a dozen soups served in small ramekins or even espresso cup sized containers. “Soup is an excellent palate cleanser for between courses,” Gary says, “so you might serve selections such as a fire-roasted tomato consommé or miso tea soup. The idea comes from wine flights where you serve three or four wines in 100ml shots and soups served in this style are taking off at cocktail events. I would recommend keeping each soup to around a 60ml serve and choosing contrasting flavours that complement each other.”

A great benefit of serving soup is the way you can repurpose menu leftovers in soup recipes so as to extract maximum cost-effectiveness and value from your ingredients. “Soup is a great means of minimising wastage,” Gary argues, “as you can use byproducts and offcuts of whatever else you’re producing and it will still make a beautiful soup. Avocado pea soup is a great example. With so many foodservice operations focusing not just on sustainability but mitigating waste, a lot of good chefs are now engineering their menus with this focus in mind – what we call ‘nose to tail’ cooking.”

“You can’t go past the classics”

Markus Werner, Corporate Executive Chef for Delaware North Australia, says soups are ramping up as part of their winter menus. “Through the really cold months we’re serving them a little bit in Marvel Stadium and in back of house the staff always appreciate a good soup.”

Markus says his approach is to go for very hearty soups based on traditional recipes. “You can’t go past the classics like potato and leek or beef and barley – what customers love best is something that’s very rich with lots of flavours in there. My only advice is not to go too complicated – some truffle in soup is always welcome, but I wouldn’t get too exotic.

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“Having said that, Australians do tend to be a little more adventurous in their tastes so what is traditional for us is already ahead of the game. Coconut milk or a little green curry flavour is normal for us – I would just avoid going too far out with experimentation.”

Given the ongoing staff and skills shortages, it’s not surprising that many foodservice businesses are increasingly turning to readymade products as opposed to preparing from scratch. Gary Johnson makes the point that along with requiring only minimal prep time and labour, pre-prepared soups can not only be served straight from the pack but also used as bases to which chefs can add further garnishes and additional ingredients as a cost-effective means of creating signature dishes.

Readymade soups offer convenient meal solution

One example of innovation in this space is the development of new MAGGI Wholeness Soup Mixes from Nestlé Professional. These are homestyle soups which are protein-fortified and quick to prepare and were designed to meet the needs of the aged care industry but are also suitable for chefs in cafes and grab and go outlets.

“Recognising the needs of the aged care industry, particularly the new Aged Care Act and quality standards emphasising food and nutrition, these soups offer a convenient meal solution with a source of protein* in every bowl, ideal for older individuals in care,” said a Nestlé Professional spokesperson.

“They feature real chunks and texture, delivering delicious and nutritious options and enabling operators to create satisfying meals that optimise time and resources while catering to a diverse customer base.”

“Soups can be used as a base for stews and casseroles. They can also be incorporated into bread recipes to add flavour, or added to stuffing for poultry”

Three flavours in the range - Pea and Ham, Crème of Broccoli and Potato, Bacon & Chives - are gluten free, providing versatility for various dietary needs without compromising on quality. “Our philosophy has always focused on insight driven product innovation and the need to meet diverse dietary requirements,” the Nestlé Professional spokesperson said. “We recognise the importance of creating solutions that simplify kitchen processes to reduce complexity for foodservice operators. By developing or reformulating products to be gluten free without compromising on flavour or quality, we aim to provide versatile options that cater to both gluten free and regular diets.

“This approach not only enhances the consumer dining experience but also helps operators minimise costs associated with stocking multiple products as well as simplifying product ordering and storage.”

Within the total MAGGI soup range, classic flavours like tomato, pumpkin, and chicken are the most popular sellers. Beyond these staples, the range showcases a broad spectrum of options - from traditional favourites to innovative protein fortified varieties designed to meet evolving customer preferences and nutritional needs.

“Chefs love to reimagine classics and MAGGI soups are a great starting point. They’re not just standalone dishes, they provide a versatile base for chefs to get creative while ensuring great taste and functionality.

“Chefs can boost a rich tomato soup with homemade stock, fresh pesto or herbs”

For example, chefs can boost a rich tomato soup with homemade stock, fresh pesto or herbs. Adding grated cheese or cream gives a creamy texture, while poached chicken or meatballs adds heartiness and extra protein.

“For a more creative application, soups can be used as a base for stews and casseroles. They can also be incorporated into bread recipes to add flavour, or added to stuffing for poultry.”

The MAGGI Wholeness Soups range is being supported through a multichannel strategy highlighting its nutritional credentials and menu appeal. “We’ve brought the range to life through sampling and demos with key distributor partners and at major trade events, giving chefs a chance to experience the products firsthand.” 

* Protein-fortified options with more than 5g of protein per 180ml serve, excludes MAGGI Wholeness Minestrone Soup Mix with 3g of protein per 180ml serve.