The salad category is generally slower to adopt flavor trends than other categories, like bar snacks, sides and entrĆ©es. But our 2017 external research tour uncovered an emerging pattern of creative salad offerings that speaks to serious salad innovation. Itās definitely a sign of the timesāintentional flavor and texture building is a hallmark of modern dishes. Modern salads are showcasing todayās overarching trend of mindful construction, where raw onions become pickled or jammed, tomatoes are charred or blistered, and where traditional salad greens get a serious challenge from other produce thatās ready for center stage.
Weāve pinpointed four menu opportunities for signature salad development.
1. Look to ānewā greens
Thereās always going to be a home for iceberg and romaine, but a few greens are finding their way onto more salads, adding textural play, nutrient density and menu differentiation. Although kale is certainly not new, weāre seeing continued opportunity in showcasing this superstar ingredient. It remains highly popular, and chefs are using it in phenomenal ways. FrisĆ©e is another green that holds a lot of potential, introducing a pleasing bitter profile with a stand-up texture that gives height and drama to a salad. Because of its bitterness, frisĆ©e often takes a supporting role, blending in with softer, sweeter greens like mĆ¢che and lolla rossa. We also saw escarole in modern salads on our tour. This broad, leafy green with a slightly bitter profile works well when itās grilled, as an unexpected element to a cold salad, or even served raw, mixed with sweeter counterpoints, like dried apricots or golden raisins.
2. Think outside the lettuce
Chefs are borrowing from the veg-centric trend, where careful, flavor-forward technique is applied to produce in creative, appealing ways. Weāre seeing beets used in raw applications, shaved, spiralized or julienned for a delicate, but memorable presentation. Weāre also seeing other raw vegetables highlighted in saladsāfrom watermelon radishes to Brussels sprouts and turnips. An important part of this approach is the inclusion of high-impact ingredients, like heady spices or umami-rich accents. One of our favorite salads was a spin on the on-trend presentation of cruditĆ© vegetables. Motel Morris in New York serves a CruditĆ© Salad with beets, carrots, scallion, watermelon radish, cucumber, yogurt and zaāatar, making the vegetables a rainbow haystack and using that as the body of the saladāvery clever and singular in the marketplace.
3. Dress for success
This is an area where weāre seeing tremendous innovation. Chefs are looking at how to amp up flavor and texture in the dressing while rounding out a saladās theme in a creative, unexpected way. Villains in Chicago drives home its Eastern Mediterranean theme in its Falafel Salad (housemade falafel, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, olive, red wine vinaigrette and feta) with a tahini dressing. Bagna cĆ uda, that rich, flavorful blend of anchovy, olive oil, garlic and butter, holds big opportunity for dressing innovation.
4. Look to flavorful protein add-ins
Flavor building is the name of the game todayāfrom bowl builds and bar bites to salad offerings. Weāre seeing the rise of more flavorful proteins, thanks in part to the veg-centric trend, which relies on elements like crispy pork and bottarga to up the craveability. The same is happening with salads, where interesting protein choices like cold-smoked salmon or pulled turkey fit right ināthanks to the mindful development of all of the elements in the salad.
Itās an exciting time for menu development. Diners seem open and eager to explore innovative flavor combinations. Salads offer a familiar formatāperfect for a safe culinary adventure that can help build menu differentiation and repeat business.
Creative Salad Sightings
Wood Grilled Kale Salad with bacon vinaigrette, sumac candied pecans, smoked goat cheese, pomegranate and compressed turnipāSteadfast, Chicago
Beet Tartare with mustard greens, almond, preserved lemonāKali, Los Angeles
Radish Pasta: radish noodles, grilled radish, dashi, smoked trout roeāRoyal Grocer, Chicago
Shaved Raw Vegetable Salad with apple, beets, carrots, candied pecans, blue cheeseāSteakbar, Chicago
Chickpea Caesar with grilled romaine, Parmesan, herb croutons, lemon-chickpea dressingāThe Little Beet Table, Chicago
Delicata Squash, Matsutake mushrooms, frisĆ©e, pine nut butter vinaigrette, golden raisinsāHoneyās, Chicago
Harvest Salad Field Greens with blue cheese, green apples, shallot confit, housemade prosciutto bacon, balsamic vinaigrette āAppellation, Chicago
Smoked Trout with mixed lettuces, hazelnuts, poached egg, sherry dressingāOcean Cut, Chicago