Chipotle's First New Menu Item In 20 Years

For the first time in 20 years, Chipotle is adding a new item nationwide. The item was first tested in California, then New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. Since the new item, Sofritas, was so successful among carnivores and vegans alike, Chipotle recently announced it will soon be offered at every single location. Sofritas is a meat-free tofu based dish meant to resemble chorizo. In fact, Business Insider reviewers said it tasted like spiced ground beef and they loved it.

Sofritas is hand made from shredded non-GMO organic tofu (by Hodo Soy) that is braised with roasted poblanos, chipotle chiles, and a blend of Mexican spices. The majority of the customers who order Sofritas aren't even vegan. That's how delicious it is. Because the Sofritas dish is made entirely from plants, it's cholesterol free, low in saturated fat, free of hormones and antibiotics, and overall better for the environment, and it's still a complete protein. Sofritas can be ordered in a salad, burrito bowl, tacos, or burrito. Whatever you do with meat, you can do with Sofritas.

Chipotle's culinary manager, Nate Appleman, said the dish took over a year of experimenting before he stumbled upon the current recipe. As an omnivore, his goal was to find a way to make tofu "as good as, if not better than meat." "I really thought hard about what's so appealing about meat, and what's not so appealing about tofu," said Appleman. The determining factor was the flavor, he said, "and it all starts with great tofu." We are excited for this new menu item to come to the Chipotle in Ithaca. Check out Fast Company's recent article on Sofritas.

You can even watch the entire production process for Sofritas- from the production of the tofu at Hodo Soy to the shredding and braising in the Chipotle kitchen. Let's just say you might order the Sofritas every time if you had to watch from conception how the Carnitas was made.

Photo by Chipotle Mexican Grill

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