Everything That’s Vegan at Just Salad: New Vegan Bacon and More

|Updated Oct 28, 2022

Instagram / @justsalad

You might already expect plenty of plant-based options from a create-your-own salad restaurant, but Just Salad's impressive menu goes above and beyond, featuring several plant-based smoothies and an extensive Signature Salads menu.

Just Salad operates over 60 locations in New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Florida, New Jersey, and Dubai. The fast-casual chain aims to disrupt the current American market with affordable options that prioritize the environment and customer health, prepping all its ingredients in-house daily, noting that most of its salad dressings are "homemade."

Just Salad manages several sustainability initiatives as well, helping customers reduce their environmental footprint with every purchase. Customers can even purchase a $1 Reusable Bowl to cut down on waste, where customers are rewarded with a free topping at every visit.

Unlike other fast casual and fast food chains, Just Salad also lists its ingredients with carbon labels so customers can gauge how environmentally taxing their order is. Despite offering several animal-based products, the company is gradually moving away from meat and dairy products, introducing new plant-based toppings for everyone to enjoy.

Hooray Foods' Vegan Bacon at Just Salad

This October, Just Salad reintroduced its seasonal Sweet Mama Salad with a plant-based twist. Typically, the Fall menu item features turkey bacon, but this year, the Sweet Mama Salad will feature plant-based bacon from Hooray Foods. The newly vegan salad will be available at all U.S. locations until December 22.

“At Just Salad, we’ve been on a journey to offer delicious, plant-based meat and dairy options since eliminating beef from our menu in 2019,” Sandra Noonan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Just Salad, said. “Our Sweet Mama Salad has included turkey bacon in the past, and we were looking for a plant-based alternative. Our team was floored by the taste of Hooray, and we’re excited for our customers to try it.”

The Sweet Mama Salad includes baby spinach, non-vegan white cheddar, and sliced apples, but plant-based diners can opt for Violife's Creamy Vegan Feta. For repeat customers, this vegan bacon is available as an add-on to any menu item.

Everything That's Vegan at Just Salad

You can visit Just Salad and pick one of the pre-crafted Signature Salads. Or customize your lunch and chow down on your favorite salad blend. Make sure to try a plant-based smoothie. Here's everything that's vegan at Just Salad locations.

Fully Plant-Based Signature Salads & Bowls at Just Salad

Chipotle Cowboy with Beyond Chicken: Served on a bed of romaine lettuce, this salad comes with Beyond Chicken, avocado, pico de Gallo, tortilla chips, and chipotle vinaigrette dressing.
Earth Bowl: To ultra-healthy Earth Bowl features arugula, kale, quinoa, Violife vegan feta, beets, roasted sweet potatoes, sliced apples, and chopped almonds complete with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Feisty Fiesta Bowl: This bowl is packed with homemade cauliflower broccoli rice, roasted corn, shredded cabbage, pickled onion, cilantro, sliced grape tomatoes, and crunchy tortilla complete with spicy avocado dressing.
Spicy Tofu Crunch: This bowl comes with organic sesame tofu, warm brown rice, roasted balsamic mushrooms, roasted cauliflower, edamame, chopped almonds, crispy onions, arugula, and shredded cabbage topped with a Thai peanut dressing.
Tokyo Supergreens: This mega-salad comes with a specialty supergreens blend, organic tofu, carrot, edamame, avocado, shaved broccoli, chopped almonds, and furikake complete with a miso ginger vinaigrette.
Crunchy Avocado Toast: This savory snack comes with avocado mash, crispy onions, vegan feat, and spiced pumpkin seeds.

Customize Your Salad

Looking for something else? You are in luck! Here's everything you can add to your vegan salad order.

Salad and Bowl Bases

Baby Spinach
Shredded Kale
Extra Crip Romaine
Cabbage
Supergreens Blend
Arugula
Regenerative Brown Rice
Homemade Cauliflower Broccoli Rice

Vegan Proteins at Just Salad

Organic Sesame Tofu
Beyond Chicken
Hooray Bacon (Temporary)

Vegan Toppings at Just Salad

Bartlett Pears
Crispy Onions
Crunchy Tortilla
Crunchy Wonton Strips
Cilantro
Hand-Cut Beets
Ocean Spray Dried Cranberries
Overnight Pickled Onions
Roasted Butternut Squash
Roasted Corn
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Tomatoes
Shaved Tomatoes
Sliced Apples
Sliced Carrots
Sliced Cucumbers
Sliced Grape Tomatoes
Stacy's Pita Chips
Pumpkin Seeds
Hemp Heart's
Chopped Almonds
Avocado
Avocado Mash
Pico de Gallo
Roasted Baby Broccoli
Roasted Balsamic Mushrooms
Roasted Cauliflower
Roasted Fajitas & Corn
Violife Creamy Vegan Feta
Japanese Furikake Shake
Sriracha

Dairy-Free Salad Dressings at Just Salad

Balsamic Vinaigrette
Chipotle Vinaigrette
Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
Maple Cider Vinaigrette
Miso Ginger Vinaigrette
Spicy Avocado
Turmeric Tahini
Thai Peanut

Lighter Dairy-Free Dressings at Just Salad

Balsamic Vinegar
Red Wine Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Lemon
Fresh Lime

Vegan Smoothies at Just Salad

Almond Berry Blast: Packed with bananas, almond butter, blueberries, strawberries, agave, and flax seeds with an oat milk base.
Detox Cleanse: This hangover cure contains lemon, apple, pineapple, fresh ginger, and baby spinach.
PB Protein: Before the gym, pick up this smoothie packed with baby spinach, hemp seeds, peanut butter, roasted pumpkin seeds, and agave with an oat milk base.
Strawberry Banana: This delectable smoothie features flax seeds, agave, strawberries, and bananas complete with an oat milk base.

Eating Vegan for Environmental and Personal Health

Choosing to eat at Just Salad instead of other more environmentally-taxing chains can significantly reduce your carbon footprint. By following a plant-based diet, consumers could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 61 percent. Even visiting Just Salad and grabbing a plant-based meal twice a week is the equivalent of planting 14 billion trees. And now, more major restaurant chains are making it easier to grab eco-friendly lunches without a hassle.

Eating plant-based meals not only helps the environment but also offers significant health benefits such as the reduced risk of cancer and diabetes. Following a plant-centered diet from ages 18 to 30 lowers your risk of heart disease 30 years later. Another study found that eating plant-based regularly can protect your gut from digestive cancers, including liver, esophageal, gastric, and colorectal. This week, give plant-based a try with one of Just Salad's tasty, fresh meals.

For more plant-based fare near you, visit The Beet's Find Vegan Near Me articles.