The inspiration for his dish came from a customer who had become a raw vegan in order to lose weight.
"He was telling me about all the things that raw vegans can eat but the challenges in trying to find something interesting and tasty in a restaurant.
"So I started experimenting with different flavours and developed this salad with a really zingy dressing containing orange, ginger and garlic," Mr Rylie said.
Mr Rylie's salad is on the menu at the Clive River Bar Restaurant throughout June.
Competition organiser Pip Duncan said chefs are being challenged to deliver imaginative and tasty vegetable dishes on a daily basis, and not just for dinner.
"With a growing number of people choosing to eat a plant-based diet as well as those who just want to try new ways with vegetables, chefs are being asked to create vegetarian options for breakfast, lunch and dinner," Ms Duncan said.
Head judge Mark Wylie said the high level of creativity and thought put into all the entrants' dishes was impressive.
"The nine finalists showed a variety of technical skills and interesting combinations of vegetables and diverse flavours, beautifully showcasing New Zealand's fresh produce," Mr Wylie said.
Judging the final winners will be Geoff Scott, owner of Vinnies restaurant, Catherine Milford, editor of Food magazine and Chef Andy Gibb, Chef Tutor at Nanyang Polytechnic in Singapore.
The three winners will be announced in July.