Is your menu ready with soup for rainy days? Once the temperature cools and the lightest drizzle drops, most customers look for a bowl of warm soup to uplift spirits. Make sure you get to cater to these needs by adding enough heartwarming options to your roster.
You can consider offering creamy mushroom, wonton noodles, or Japanese ramen. You can also keep it local with chicken tinola or sinigang na baboy. To help you decide, turn to this list featuring the top three most popular soups Pinoys can’t resist.
#1 Sinigang
The unique aroma of sinigang alone can make your customers feel warm inside. In every slurp, they get to enjoy the distinct savory-sour flavor of its key souring agent. This is one of the top Filipino soup dishes that satisfy hungry stomachs without much fanfare.
When making your sinigang, add a mix of vegetables and make sure not to overcook them – this also retains their nutritional value. As for protein, offer a variety to accommodate a wide range of diets. You can go for the usual pork, beef ribs, and seafood options, like bangus and shrimp. Or you can innovate this classic dish by making it with crispy lechon or corned beef. Why not serve a creamy salmon belly sa miso made with Knorr Sinigang Mix? There are no strict rules on what you can put in your version!
Chef’s tip: Use Knorr Sinigang sa Sampalok Mix as the base of your sinigang, then create more complex flavors by adding other souring agents or fruits. Try it with green mango, kamias, calamansi, or even watermelon.
#2 Classic Filipino Soups
From bulalo to arroz caldo, soups are essential to the Philippines’ culinary identity. Every region boasts a heartwarming recipe! There’s linat-ang baboy from Cebu, tiyula itum from Sulu, and pinikpikan from the Cordilleras. Each has a notable characteristic, but all feature a common denominator – that sweetish, umami-packed flavor profile.
For low-cost options, include Filipino-style clear soups in your menu. Choose from heritage recipes from the Visayas, such as pancit Molo, utan Bisaya (sinabawang gulay), and kansi. If you want to pique your guests’ interest, offer them something new, like a Filipino-style seafood bouillabaisse made with the freshest local shellfish you can find.
Chef’s tip: Follow the traditional methods of preparing Filipino soups – wrap your wontons yourself and slowly simmer your kansi meat until completely tender. If you need a flavor boost, use Knorr Broths in your base but incorporate it with classic seasonings.
#3 Western Soups
Western soups are also reliable menu additions. You can make them with a variety of bases, ranging from meat and seafood to cereals and root crops. Usual bestsellers have a creamy consistency and an earthy flavor profile suitable for warming up the senses.
From a chef’s perspective, Western soup recipes are easy to mix and match or level up with a few extra ingredients. Consider serving upgraded cream-based recipes, like mushroom soup with truffle cream foam or seafood and corn chowder. You can also rely on the classics – a puree of roasted squash soup or roasted asparagus and onion soup with barley. Or how about a spicy number, like a bouillabaisse with smoked pepper rouille? These options will take your customers’ taste buds around the globe!
Chef’s tip: Make Filipino-style thick soups by adding local ingredients, such as gata, lemongrass, turmeric, and even ube. You can also use Knorr Aromat to complement Western elements.
Make sure your menu is ready with enough soup options for rainy days. You can always go for classic recipes to help boost your sales. Or why not give them creative twists to set your offerings apart?
Need more dish ideas for your restaurant? Check out our FREE downloadable eBook, Pinoy Recipes with a Twist, for more recipes and inspiration for your next dish!
