Last month Chipotle rolled out it’s newest offering to several states. Their newest menu item is sofritas. Sofritas is made out of shredded organic tofu braised with chipotle chilis, roasted poblanos and a blend of spices. The name “Sofritas” comes from the word “sofrito,” which means gently fried in Spanish. In Spanish cuisine, a sofrito is a culinary base consisting of combination of sautéed garlic, pepper, onions, tomatoes.

Ever since I heard that Chipotle would be offering this vegan/vegetarian friendly dish, I wanted to try and taste it. It’s the first time in 20 years that Chipotle is added something new to their protein offerings. I was intrigued. Today, I finally did get the chance to check their braised tofu dish.

Like it’s other menu offerings, you can choose to get a bowl, burrito or a salad. I chose to get a sofritas bowl with brown rice, veggies, cheese, mild salsa and garnished with sour cream. The sofritas itself is very interesting looking, it looks like chorizo. The tofu texture is firm and makes you almost think it is ground beef or ground chicken.

Similarly, tastewise, it is also very un-tofu like. It tastes very much like you are eating ground beef or ground chicken. It is full of flavor and quite spicy. There’s a wonderful combination of slight tangy & slight smokey giving the Chipotle bowl quite a kick that is different from it’s other offerings. The cheese, mild salsa and sour cream offset the spice but in the end you definitely still feel the heat.

Chipotle’s sofritas is a great addition to their menu. It’s something different. It’s a good option for vegetarians and vegans but I have a feeling even meat eaters will like this. 🙂