Catching the Wave of Flavored Tequilas

Grilled Salmon Salad with miso mayo, pickled cucumber and onion, cherry tomatoes, avocado, papaya, sesame seeds, baby head and red gem lettuces and carrot-ginger dressing

Photo Credit: Kim Fox

Salmon Makes a Splash on the Salad Menu

Tender Greens | Based in Los Angeles

Oliver Plust

Timing is everything. Tender Greens, a chef-driven, farm-to-table fast-casual concept, introduced its Grilled Salmon Salad as an LTO early in 2024 when guests were looking for a health-forward dish. “This helped make it so successful,” says Oliver Plust, corporate executive chef at parent One Table Restaurant Brands. “During launch week, it performed as well as our top four salads and has continued gaining traction since.” The dish landed a coveted spot on the main menu this spring.

Plust believes the salad’s Asian-inspired recipe delivers the best of American fusion, making it a defi nitive “best of.” While the popular grilled salmon is surely the star, he credits the role played by several of the supporting players. “In using both our baby head and red gem lettuces, we have a variety that is bright, tasty and crunchy. These lettuces support the crisp flavor of our carrot-ginger dressing, a fan favorite among frequent diners that ties in with our use of green papaya and our Japanese-style pickled cucumber,” Plust says. Spicy mayo is placed on the bottom of the bowl to allow the fat and spice to cut through and accompany the other ingredients.

Read more Best of Flavor 2024