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to see a lot of veggie-based meals in general. Millennials and Gen Zs are more educated about what they’re putting into their bodies and which foods are going to make a di erence on their long-term health.”
at overall awareness, he says, is leading to more adoption and acceptance from consumers of veggie-centric items in general and, particu- larly, of soups.
Gideon also says the “comfort food” aspect is helping to propel the acceptance of produce-centric soups, as evidenced by the popularity of his wild mushroom soup.
“ e focus on better-for-you foods and ingredients is permitting people to be more willing to try di erent things, like a carrot- ginger or curry soup,” he says. “Our mushroom soup is probably our No. 1 selling soup. It’s scratch-made, 100 percent natural and has no preservatives or arti cial colors in it.”
To create the soup’s base, he combines vegetable and mushroom stocks. He also uses three types of mushrooms: Shiitake, Portobello and Cremini, which he sears and reduces with garlic, olive oil and additional seasonings. He then adds a few di erent types of alcohol, which subsequently burn
Tomato Artichoke Soup
MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z DEMAND
At UMass Dining, which serves 50,000 meals per day at the University of Massachu- setts-Amherst, demand for produce-based soups tends to be driven by Millennial and Gen Z customers, says executive director Ken Toong. “ ey resonate with everyone, especially during the colder months. Recently, we incorporated a few new produce-centric soups into the menu, and they’ve been very popular. is semester, for example, we started o ering some creamier varieties, even though they’re not always made with heavy cream — such as sweet potato and leek, and cauli ower-red lentil — that are showing themselves to be more popular than chicken noodle or beef barley.”
e university’s butternut squash soup, however, is made from locally sourced, fresh butternut squash, water, garlic, unsalted butter, parsley, ginger and other seasonings, and cream. Nevertheless, Toong notes squash also can be cooked in a broth and pureed to create a creamy and silky texture that gives the perception of richness and can be made easily to satisfy vegan or low-fat requests.
Food industry experts say the continuing interest in farm-to-fork ingredients can be
Wild Mushroom Soup
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CAFE PATACHOU AND FRESH TO ORDER
o , to glaze the mushrooms and enhance their avor. Cream, the primary source of fat content in the soup, creates a rich, smooth texture. Half bowls sell for around $4, and full bowls are $5.50 each.
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