Just Salad Partners with Michelin-Star Chef Amanda Cohen on Exclusive Menu Item to Kick Off Veganuary 2024

The "Dirt Candy" Salad, Named for Chef Cohen's NYC Vegetable Restaurant, is Available on the New Winter Menu at all Just Salad Locations

NEW YORK, Jan. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Just Salad, the fast-casual restaurant chain with a mission to make everyday health and sustainability possible, is unveiling its limited-edition "Dirt Candy" vegan salad, created by James Beard-nominated Chef, Amanda Cohen in honor of Veganuary. Awarded both a Michelin Star and a prestigious Michelin Green Star for its exceptional menu and dedication to eco-friendly initiatives, Chef Cohen's renowned NYC restaurant, Dirt Candy finds perfect synergy with Just Salad's climate mission and guiding vision to deliver flavorful, plant-forward food. Through its commitment to continuously exploring new ingredients and crafting innovative recipes for every season and every palate, the exclusive dish launches as part of Just Salad's new chef-designed winter menu.

"Embarking on this Veganuary journey with Just Salad is a thrilling fusion of culinary passions and a shared food ethos," said Chef Cohen. "Our collaboration stems from a mutual dedication to redefining dining experiences through plant-based innovation and sustainable practices. I'm excited to offer their customers a new vegan recipe that incorporates some of my favorite flavors and ingredients." 

Whether vegan, participating in Veganuary, or just plain hungry, the "Dirt Candy" salad is guaranteed to be a fan favorite from the new winter menu. Now available in-store, online and in-app across all Just Salad locations nationwide through January 31, the salad adds two limited-time only toppings - sweet Pepperoncini and buttery Castelvetrano Olives - to Just Salad's ingredient offerings.

• Dirt Candy: Extra Crisp Romaine + Arugula, Organic Sesame Tofu, Sliced Cucumber, Shaved Broccoli, Tajin^® Spiced Pumpkin Seeds, Sliced Pepperoncini, Castelvetrano Olives
• Creamy Vegan Ranch: Veganaise, Nutritional Yeast, Minced Garlic, Lemon Juice, White Vinegar, Salt, Chopped Parsley, Water

"It was an honor to partner with Chef Cohen, a pioneer in the vegetable-forward movement who continues to be a creative force in the culinary industry," said Jhonny Castro, Culinary Director at Just Salad. "We're proud to offer our guests a Michelin-star experience through the partnership that embodies our passion for flavorful, plant-forward food and commitment to quality ingredients."

This isn't the first time Just Salad has explored a culinary collaboration with like-minded partners to bring new dishes to its menu. In an effort to drive ongoing product innovation and offer new craveable creations for customers, Just Salad has enjoyed successful collaborations in the past with other influential trailblazers who share a passion for fresh, flavorful, feel-good food, including Wellness Educator & Entrepreneur, Mona Vand and Baked by Melissa Founder & CEO, Melissa Ben-Ishay.

Rolling out alongside the "Dirt Candy" Salad, Just Salad's new winter menu includes five seasonally-inspired recipes to get customers through the coldest time of the year. For those with an appetite for a seaside escape, the new Mediterranean Bowl features healthy, yet flavorful ingredients inspired by Southern European cuisine. Several fan-favorite items will return to the menu as well, including the Maple Crispy Chicken, Winter Harvest and Avo Crunch Bowl. Each mouthwatering salad is packed with seasonal LTO staples such as Sliced Pepperoncini, *Spicy Harissa Pita, Black Lentils, a Greek Medley and Just Salad's homemade Maple Cider Vinaigrette.

Just Salad's winter menu will be available in-store, online and in-app through late-March:

• Mediterranean Bowl: Black Lentils, Shredded Kale + Arugula, Greek Medley (onion, cucumber + chickpeas), Overnight Pickled Onions, Sliced Pepperoncini, *Spicy Harissa Pita, Crumbled Feta, Oven Roasted Chicken, Homemade Yogurt Cucumber Dressing + Fresh Lemon
• Maple Crispy Chicken: Baby Spinach + Arugula, Crispy Chicken, Tillamook^® White Cheddar, Chopped Almonds, Ocean Spray^® Dried Cranberries, Roasted Corn, Sliced Carrots, Homemade Maple Cider Vinaigrette
• Winter Harvest: Supergreens Blend, Black Lentils, Oven Roasted Chicken, Creamy Goat Cheese, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Chopped Almonds, Sliced Apples, Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Avo Crunch Bowl: Regenerative Brown Rice, Supergreens Blend, Beyond Chicken^® (Plant-Based), Violife^® Creamy Vegan Feta, Hass Avocado, Sliced Carrots, Crispy Onions, Homemade Chipotle Vinaigrette
• Seasonal Soup Special: Broccoli Cheddar

In addition to the seasonal winter menu drop, Just Salad is excited to announce that several best-selling items from its fall menu are here to stay! The Buffalo Cauliflower Salad and Cilantro Lime Chicken Bowl will now be a part of Just Salad's permanent in-store and digital lineup, bringing its partnership with Grillo's Pickles to the menu full-time.

To locate a Just Salad near you, place an order online, and download the chain's mobile app, visit https://www.justsalad.com/. For more information about Dirt Candy, visit https://www.dirtcandynyc.com/.

*Not available at Florida stores, will be substituted with Stacy's^® Pita Chips in the Mediterranean Bowl within this market.

ABOUT JUST SALAD
Just Salad is a fast-casual restaurant chain with a mission to make everyday health and sustainability possible. The brand serves craveable, accessible, plant-centric meals made with homemade dressings, prepped-daily produce, from-scratch recipes and fresh, flavorful ingredients. Guests can choose from over 15 chef-designed salads, wraps, warm bowls, avocado toast, soups and smoothies. Empowering customers to "Eat with Purpose," Just Salad is a Certified B Corporation™ and home to the world's largest restaurant reusable program, as well as the first U.S. restaurant chain to carbon label its menu and offer a Climatarian menu category. The company was founded in 2006 and has over 70 locations across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and North Carolina.

ABOUT DIRT CANDY
New York City has hundreds of steak restaurants, seafood restaurants, barbecue restaurants, and tapas restaurants, but Dirt Candy is the city's only vegetable restaurant. We serve nothing but vegetables, and our goal is to make them taste better than anything you've ever had before. Our kitchen is essentially a laboratory for our award-winning chef, Amanda Cohen, and every day she pushes vegetables further than anyone else in the world. Our menu changes regularly, because we're on a journey to the furthest reaches of vegetables and we want to take you with us. At Dirt Candy, dinner is an experience of the raw and the cooked, the bold and the beautiful, full of roaring fire, tableside grilling, strange broths, and dishes that are both deceptively simple and staggeringly complex.

Media Contact
Nicole Natoli, Just Salad
[email protected]

SOURCE Just Salad