Chick-Fil-A Turns To Cauliflower As Latest Star Ingredient To Replace Meat
With more and more fast-food chains adding plant-based alternatives to their menus, Chick-Fil-A has decided to offer its customers more inclusive options as well, beginning with a new cauliflower sandwich instead of the usual faux meats.
As CNBC noted, meat alternatives that closely resemble actual chicken or beef have recently fallen out of favor with the public despite their heightened popularity during the pandemic, leading Beyond Meat and Impossible to both lay off a sizeable chunk of their employees.
“We explored every corner of the plant-based space in search of the perfect centerpiece for our plant-forward entrée. Time and time again, we kept returning to cauliflower as the base of our sandwich,” explained Stuart Tracy, a culinary developer involved in the project.
Chick-fil-A is going to start testing a fried cauliflower sandwich in Denver, Charleston and the Greensboro-Triad region in NC starting on Monday.
— Jonathan Maze (@jonathanmaze) February 9, 2023
It's cauliflower seasoned and breaded and fried and served on a bun with a pair of pickles. pic.twitter.com/zKiXbIGJcz
As per the firm, the item on the menu reportedly resembles the restaurant’s famed chicken sandwich, but replaces the poultry with breaded and pressure-cooked cauliflower instead—retaining the brown, deep-fried look synonymous with the dish.
“Guests told us they wanted to add more vegetables into their diets, and they wanted a plant-forward entrée that tasted uniquely Chick-Fil-A. Our new sandwich is made with the highest quality ingredients and whole vegetables,” quipped Director of Menu Leslie Neslage.
The cauliflower sandwich, which the company said has been in the works for nearly four years, will first appear for a trial run at outlets in Denver, Charleston, and the Greensboro-Triad region of North California.
Customers who are vegan or have allergies should note that milk and eggs are included in the preparation process of the sandwich, and the restaurant does not designate vegetarian-only preparation surfaces in its kitchens.
Chick-Fil-A Just Revealed A New Sandwich made with cauliflower pic.twitter.com/csg4fupDyb
— Geeks + Gamers (@GeeksGamersCom) February 9, 2023
[via CNBC and Chick-Fil-A, cover image via Chick-Fil-A]
