Eat more veggies? Chick-fil-A tests new cauliflower sandwich in first plant-based pilot

The history of Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A, one of the largest family-owned restaurant chains in the U.S., rose from humble beginnings as a small diner in a suburb of Atlanta.

ATLANTA - American's most popular chicken chain is going vegan, sort of.

Chick-fil-A says it is testing its first plant-forward entrée. Starring Monday, Feb. 13, the company will offer the Chick-fil-A Cauliflower Sandwich in three markets.

The sandwich is made with a tender filet cut from a whole, real cauliflower. Chick-fil-A says fans of its original chicken sandwich may have a hard time telling the difference. The preparation is similar to the original, it is marinated, breaded with a signature seasoning, pressure-cooked, and served on a toasted buttery bun with two dill pickle chips.

"Cauliflower is the hero of our new sandwich, and it was inspired by our original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich," said Leslie Neslage, director of menu and packaging at Chick-fil-A. "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, and we hope it offers customers another reason to dine at Chick-fil-A."

The three test markets are: Denver, Charleston, S.C. and North Carolina’s Greensboro-Triad region.

large-Compress_Resize_CFA Cauliflower Sandwich

(Chick-fil-A Handout)

The new plant-based fare was created, developed, and tested in-house by Chick-fil-A chefs for nearly four years finding the right ingredients and "perfecting the recipe for the new sandwich."

"We explored every corner of the plant-based space in search of the perfect centerpiece for our plant-forward entrée," said Stuart Tracy, culinary developer of the Chick-fil-A Cauliflower Sandwich. "Time and time again, we kept returning to cauliflower as the base of our sandwich. After a significant amount of development, we knew we had a one-of-a-kind entrée; one that puts a delicious spin on what we’re known for – great tasting food with ingredients you can trust."

While the sandwich is plant-based, Chick-fil-A says they do not consider it vegetarian due to the way it is prepared.

Those who live in the three test markets can check the Chick-fil-A App or contact their local Chick-fil-A restaurant to find out if their restaurant will be participating in the test.