The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word SALAD
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
S
A
L
A
D
More clues leading to the result SALAD
- After it, youngster leaves
- Nothing cooked in Cleopatra’s days
- Since being raised, young man can make one cold dish!
- Small boy devouring a cold dish
- Small boy grabbing a grub from leaves?
- Greens back US city, ousting Liberal
- Since returning, youth only eats this!
- Cold dish for South American boy
- Early days in return of half-hearted TV city
- Greens enjoyed in a carefree manner in its days
Buddy explains!

The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SALAD mean?
SALAD noun- A food made primarily of a mixture of raw or cold ingredients, typically vegetables, usually served with a dressing such as vinegar or mayonnaise.
- A raw vegetable of the kind used in salads.