Sweetgreen just announced its latest menu item — fries. That’s right, the salad chain that prides itself on healthy ingredients and meals is now serving customers fries. Called Ripple Fries, this dish is a cleaner take on a traditional fast food item.
“At Sweetgreen, we’re always thinking about our larger mission to redefine fast food, and Ripple Fries are the next step in that journey,” Chad Brauze, head of culinary at Sweetgreen, told Spoon University in an interview. “We’re excited to give our guests the classic fry experience they know and love, but made the Sweetgreen way with clean, high-quality ingredients.”
What are Ripple Fries?
Made from freshly-cut russet potatoes, seasoned with herbs and salt, and air-fried using avocado oil, Ripple Fries have a unique oval shape with a large ridges. They have a crispy exterior and are light and fluffy on the inside. These fries are the perfect vessel for dipping: alongside Ripple Fries, Sweetgreen is releasing Garlic Aioli and Pickle Ketchup to dip the fries into.
The Sweetgreen culinary team settled on the Ripple Fries recipe after extensive testing. According to Brauze, the most important thing while testing was that the fries were air-fried. The team spent about a month toying around with shapes alone to find one ideal for air frying. Potato varieties were also in question: sweet potatoes, red potatoes, purple potatoes, waxy potatoes, and fingerlings were tested until russet potatoes were ultimately chosen.
“We really wanted to taste some of the interior potato and balance the flavor with a crispy, craveworthy exterior,” Brauze said. “The starch to sugar ratio [of russet potatoes] works really well in our application, and it is easy on our growers.”
What sets Sweetgreen fries apart from other fast food fries?
Sweetgreen is “the first national brand to offer fries that are air-fried and prepared without seed oils.” This results in fries that are not as oily and, therefore, lower in caloric value. The shape of Ripple Fries is somewhat different as well, as they look more like a thicker chip, if anything.
Does Sweetgreen offer other traditional fast food items?
Up until this release, Sweetgreen has not dabbled in the traditional fast food sphere of burgers, nuggets, or fries. Sweetgreen has ventured out of only serving salads and grain bowls, though, with healthier versions of certain dishes seen in its Protein Plates. Sweetgreen’s Caramelized Garlic Steak, Miso Glazed Salmon, and Hot Honey Chicken Protein Plates are cleaner takes on popular restaurant or homemade dishes.
What dishes can you pair Ripple Fries with?
Aside from dipping Ripple Fries in Garlic Aioli or Pickle Ketchup, Brauze recommends pairing the fries with the Kale Caesar. But if your go-to Sweetgreen main is the Chicken Pesto Parm or Harvest Bowl, Brauze encourages you to try Ripple Fries alongside that, too.
“Ripple Fries are the perfect complement to any Sweetgreen order,” he said.
When will Ripple Fries be available?
Although news of them just dropped today — Ripple Fries are now in stores! Hurry over to your local Sweetgreen location to get a firsthand taste of these delicious air-fried vessels.