High-Impact Veggies
Maximize the flavour of your vegetables with these easy techniques
Today’s vegetable-centric trend sees a lot of love given to vegetables, both in cooking techniques and flavour combinations. Roasting, charring, blistering, grilling—these all bring out the sweet, caramelized, smoky side of veggies. Flavour boosters—from marinades and glazes to dollops of luscious cheese or bits of crispy pork—help tell a signature story.
Menu Sightings
This new attention to vegetables speaks to a larger trend in foodservice, in which guests expect fresh food cooked with big flavour.
- KFC—Korean Fried Cauliflower
THE CARBON BAR, TORONTO - Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with
Shaved Parmesan and Smoked Bacon
HY'S STEAKHOUSE AND COCKTAIL BAR, WINNIPEG - Grilled Husked Baby Corn
with Butter and Pequin Chile
CUCHILLO, VANCOUVER
Execute this major trend without overextending your staff or ordering in too many new SKUs.
FOR MARINADES...
choose from our extensive portfolio of salad dressings, such as Renée’s Citrus Kiwi DressingFOR A LONG BRAISES...
on bitey greens, Heinz Tomato SauceFOR FINISHING CHEESES...
we can help with Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Kraft Habanero Heat Cheese Slices, Kraft Mozzarella Cheese and more
Ideas on how you can tap into the veg-centric trend, using ingredients and products you already have in your pantry.
- 1 cup Kraft Sundried Tomato and Oregano Dressing2 tsp. lemon zest
- 1 cup Pure Kraft Refrigerated Berry Balsamic Dressing1 tsp. minced jalapeño
- 1 cup Renée’s Creole Dijon Sauce1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
- 1 cup Diana Sauce Thai Sweet & Spicy1/4 cup Kraft Cilantro Lime Dressing
- 1 cup Renée’s Italian Dressing1 tsp. curry powder
- 1 cup Richardson Ultimate Sriracha Sauce2 tbsp. honey
- 1 cup Kraft Balsamic Vinaigrette2 tbsp. orange marmalade1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 cup Bull’s-Eye Original Barbecue Sauce3 tbsp. Richardson Blueberry Topping
- 1 cup Rickard’s Maple Chipotle BBQ Sauce3 tbsp. Forty Creek Whisky BBQ Sauce3 tbsp. Richardson Ultimate Korean BBQ Sauce1 tsp. sesame seeds
- 1 cup Richardson Balsamic Vinaigrette3 tbsp. Rickard’s Mesquite Apple BBQ Sauce
- Braised in pork stock or tomato sauce
- Grilled or charred
- Roasted or blistered
- Pan-seared
- Wood-smoked
- Pickled
- Dollops of soft cheese, such as mozzarella, cream cheese or burrata
- Crisp bacon chunks
- Sausage crumbles
- Melting cheeses, such as cheddar or Monterey Jack
- Shaved ham or prosciutto
Technomic’s 2015 Consumer Trend Report tells us that, in the vegetable category, carrots, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts show impressive menu mention growth.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS menu mentions are up 530% over the last four years, according to Datassential Canadian MenuTrends
Vegetable-Centric Technique
Vegetable-Centric Technique
Cauliflower has grown on menus by 98% from 2011 to 2015, according to Datassential Canadian MenuMonitor.
Carrots have grown on menus by 78% from 2011-2015, according to Datassential.
Vegetable-Centric Technique
One challenge with cooking vegetables is the variance in a single type of veggie, depending on the supplier. Starch and sugar levels can change, so make sure you adjust cook time and flavour add-ins depending on what you get.
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