Top Comfort Foods: Sandwiches & Soups

As temperatures begin to drop, it’s time to turn up the heat on hearty winter soups and sumptuous sandwiches. Comfort food “evokes nostalgia, and feels like a warm embrace on a cold winter’s night,” according to Unilever’s Future Menus Report.

Supremely versatile sandwiches perform for every daypart, pairing comfort with convenience. They fit the bill for today’s fluid lifestyles. What’s more, they offer buildability, with options to fulfill any flavor profile and eating style.

In the popular better-for-you category, seafood sandwiches hold a coveted spot. They deliver not only on high-quality protein, but also on healthful omega-3s. Tuna salad ranks as a perennial comfort food, delivering on sustaining memories of a simpler time.

The menu opportunity is innovation and embellishment. As reported in a recent blog, “Featuring tuna favorites with new flavors and ingredients fuels enthusiasm in the kitchen and at the table” (see New Twists on Classic Tuna Favorites).

A similar approach applies to salmon, America’s favorite fish. Foodservice operators can keep seafood salad sandwiches exciting with intriguing flavor additions like lemon aioli, hot pepper condiments, pesto, salsa, or pickled vegetables. For cold days, seafood melts ooze added satisfaction.

The National Restaurant Association calls “melty cheeses” a type of classic comfort food. What’s more, they are “a safe way for consumers to sample unique ingredients and flavors from other regions.”

For menu inspiration, look to sweet chili salmon sliders or Mexican tuna salad.

Souped-up comfort for a complex world

Like sandwiches, soups signal visions of coziness, while also inviting culinary invention. Upscale ramen and other “world stage soups & stews” are menu winners with today’s foodservice audience, reports the National Restaurant Association.

From a creamy salmon chowder to a Sicilian tuna soup, seafood soups continue to perform on the comfort food line-up. Culinary possibilities are endless. Salmon performs in both creamy and broth-based dishes, combining well with vegetable such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, leeks, carrots, celery, lentils, and other vegetables. Ramen, ancient grains, colorful pastas, and unusual rice options are re-defining soups today.

Herb and seasoning profiles can help spin a seafood soup into almost any ethnic-inspired offering, from Mediterranean to Mexican or Thai. Croutons, grated cheeses, and herb garnishes—or a swirl of colorful sauce—can enhance the thrill factor.

Craveable harmony

The menu beauty of sandwiches and soups lies in the power of pairing. A simple meal of sandwich-plus-soup creates a warming meal experience. It frames up a socially satisfying backdrop, inviting friend, family, or work connections and catch-up over food.

Many menu specials and LTOs leverage options to select a sandwich and a soup. The concept is scalable for small appetites—a half sandwich plus a cup of soup. It also scales up to full or large portions for hungry patrons. The concept scores on portability, too, as it’s quick and packable for to-go orders.

Sandwiches and soups meet patrons’ search for value on the menu as well. Simplicity equals affordability for consumers. Operators can enjoy minimal labor requirements, economical production, and a boost in profitability.

As cooler months approach, think seafood for your all-star comfort food menu. For more menu ideas, visit the Chicken of the Sea foodservice recipe collection.