The ever-versatile avocado can take top billing in so much more than guacamole.
In fact, menu mentions of avocado in main dish salads jumped 5.6% in the last three years, according to Technomic’s MenuMonitor data.
It’s no wonder:
- Avocado’s a source of good fats and comes with a health halo
- It’s considered a premium item, worthy of an upsell
- Avocado pairs well with on-trend, globally-inspired dishes
- It works both as an ingredient in salads and in salad dressings
Here’s a look at how some creative operators are menuing avocado in salads and in dressings:
- The Pour House, a craft beer gastro pub with locations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, offers a trendy ahi tuna poke salad with marinated ahi, mango, avocado, baby greens, wontons and sesame vinaigrette.
- Wildwood Kitchen near Washington, D.C., tops its Arugula & Endive Salad with an avocado tahini dressing made with Greek yogurt, feta, lime and cumin.
- Cubes of avocado and cucumber get tossed with coriander and Thai basil in the Cucumber and Avocado Tartare from Cafe Medi in New York City.
- Avocado and Cabbage Slaw from Tapestry in New York City features avocado, cabbage, cashews, chile jam, cumin and a choice of ginger chicken or grilled shrimp.
- The Chopt salad chain offers several salads with avocado, including the Smoky Santa Cruz with grilled chicken, avocado, corn, scallions, tri-color quinoa, black beans, kale, broccoli leaves and purple cabbage.
- FARMbloomington in Bloomington, Ind., serves Adam and Steve on a Raft as a rotating brunch special. It features a poached egg, smoked salmon, avocado, greens and creme fraiche.
- El Pollo Loco’s limited-time Double Chicken Salads line all featured avocado, including the Double Chicken Avocado Mango Chile Salad with avocado, mango salsa, Cotija cheese and chipotle seasoning on lettuce.
- The Cheesecake Factory menued several avocado salads, including the Vegan Cobb Salad with lettuce, grilled asparagus, green beans, roasted beets, avocado, cucumber, tomato, garbanzo beans, quinoa, almonds and sunflower seeds. The chain also used avocado dressing on its California Guacamole Salad with greens, avocado, tomato, corn, black beans, onion, radish, tortillas, feta and cilantro.
This post is sponsored by Simplot