Take it easy this summer with refreshing, gourmet, prepared salads — a versatile and efficient way to serve seafood, proteins, and grains, all in one scoop.
Long a mainstay at deli counters and salad bars, these pre-made salads are a convenient summer-friendly addition to regular fare. The chilled creations can provide a much-needed reprieve from the heat, with crisp veggies, cooked proteins, and grains bound together with tangy dressings.
Prepared salads are easy to eat and even easier for the kitchen to prepare, with the ability to shapeshift from light appetizers, to hearty main dishes, to easy grab-and-go options. By incorporating these salads into various dishes, restaurants can streamline their operations, reduce costs, and provide delightful, consistent culinary experiences year-round.
Deli-ghtful!
The flavors of the deli offer a nostalgic, craveable experience, as well as versatility and seasonal freshness. Delancey Street Deli® Gourmet Premium Prepared Cold Salads, for example, are filled with fresh ingredients, tangy dressings, and on-trend flavors, with a craft-made, back-of-house prepped appearance.
The added advantage of serving consistent recipes featuring large chunks of seafood, chicken, and chopped eggs, along with vibrant vegetables, fruits, dressings, and vinaigrettes is the ability to streamline attractive plating processes, without adding undue stress to staff. These salads are easy-to-portion and packed in resealable tubs for labor and time-saving initiatives in the kitchen.
See Food!
Seafood provides a premium experience on menus, so items like tender, luscious shrimp and crab salads would be indulgent additions to any app section. Adding easy-to-serve seafood options to menus also helps you offer top-end quality at a higher price point that consumers are more likely to feel comfortable paying.
The sweet and tangy lemon dressing featured on the Delancey Street Deli Lemon Seafood Salad makes it a refreshing topping to a slice of baguette that can be garnished with a few fresh herbs including chives, and then sold as a Seafood Bruschetta. Serve it on a leaf of endive for a low-carb version that will appeal to more health-conscious diners. The rich, creamy seafood deluxe salad can also do double duty as a chilled seafood dip when served with pita chips or crackers. Or add a dollop to a prepared pastry shell or filo cup for a simple hands-free way to enjoy the blend of shellfish.
Make It Handheld
If one of the most popular sporting events in the world can serve simple egg salad sandwiches, so can you — it’s a hole-in-one! Keep it classic with the neutral version from Delancey Street or use it as a base to customize with herbs, spices, and pickled add-ins. Most protein-based salads make great sandwiches — whether tucked between sliced bread, croissants, or wrapped up in a large flour tortilla. For a fun presentation, serve the salads as sliders. Small brioche buns or mini rolls can be filled, providing a delightful bite-sized treat that’s perfect for sharing. Serve three-of-a-kind or a mix of several for a fun trio.
Mix & Match
Build-your-own plates are a great way to feature a variety of already prepared salads. Pe-made items are great served alongside simple options like cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, or fruit salad, even crackers or leaves of lettuce. Prepared as a light, refreshing lunch — these salads are easily adaptable for takeout or catering for large groups, too.
To keep costs in check, place guardrails around the selections so that each plate contains one protein-based salad, one grain-based salad, and one simple vegetable or fruit salad. If takeout is a big part of your business, consider packaging these salads into single-serve containers for a quick grab-and-go option with a discount on multiple purchases. The variety of textures and flavors looks great in a merchandiser fridge and makes it an easy choice for a beach or pool snack in the warmer months.
Get Healthy
Recreate the old-school salad bar by offering scoops of wet salads as add-ons to green salads. Guests can choose a scoop of chicken salad for more protein, a quinoa salad for extra fiber, or a seafood salad for an indulgent topping. Quinoa and pasta are also great side dish options, complementing main courses such as grilled meats or seafood.
Grain salads with veggies, nuts, and herbs mixed in offer a hearty and nutritional choice, appealing to health-conscious diners. For a little fun presentation and added nutrition, serve the salads inside of a unique vegetable-based serving vessel. A scoop of seafood salad on a halved avocado would be a decadent salad or consider tuna salad in a hollowed-out bell pepper that adds moisture and crunch. Even chicken salad gets a healthy makeover served in a lettuce wrap.
