IKEA has a new vegan hot dog that's taking off with customers — here's what it tastes like (COST)

• IKEA just added a vegan hot dog to its food-court menu.
• The veggie dog is meant to be a more sustainable alternative to the hot dog and is made from kale, red lentils, quinoa, onion, and carrots. It's topped with pickled red cabbage and roasted onions. 
• IKEA is the latest of many mainstream retailers to start offering more vegan alternatives. Costco recently removed the Polish hot dog from its food-court menu to make room for several vegan options, including a new al pastor salad and an acai bowl.
• We tried IKEA's new veggie dog ourselves, and we were surprised by how delicious it was.

IKEA is following in Costco's footsteps and adding a new vegan option to its food-court menu.

The veggie dog, which launched in IKEA's European locations in August, officially launched in the bistros in the furniture retailer's US stores at the end of September. IKEA began developing the veggie dog as a more sustainable alternative to its hot dog back in February. 

According to Fast Company, IKEA sold one million veggie dogs in Europe in the first two months that they were available. The veggie dog has only been in American IKEA stores since late September, but in its first two weeks, one out of every 10 customers who bought a hot dog in-store opted for the vegan version, Merlijn Crébolder, IKEA food manager in the US, told Fast Company.

The veggie dog is made from kale, red lentils, quinoa, onion, carrots, and spices like ginger and turmeric. It's topped with pickled red cabbage, spicy mustard, and roasted onions. It costs $0.75 and is 226 calories. While the veggie dog itself is vegan, the bun isn't because it contains egg. 

It isn't IKEA's first venture into vegan food, and it won't be its last. The furniture store's restaurant serves vegan meatballs and has announced plans to introduce a vegan ice cream to the menu in summer 2019.

IKEA is the latest among several mainstream brands to start adding vegan options to meet increased demand. Costco recently removed the Polish hot dog from its food-court menu to make room for several vegan options, including a new al pastor salad and an acai bowl. Nestle acquired the vegan-meat supplier Sweet Earth in September. Campbell's recently acquired Pacific Foods, which makes nondairy milks. And White Castle added the plant-based Impossible Burger to its menu.

We went to the IKEA store in Brooklyn, New York, to try the veggie dog for ourselves — here's the verdict: 

SEE ALSO: Costco replaced a beloved food-court menu item with new vegan options. Here's how they taste.

The veggie dogs are available at IKEA's bistro, which is separate from its restaurant. The line was long — I waited almost 20 minutes to order. The veggie dogs cost $0.75 each, so I got two for $1.50.

IKEA's bistro's veggie hot dog is entirely vegan, except for the bun, which contains egg. The menu says that the veggie dogs have 226 calories each.

The veggie dog itself is made from kale, red lentils, quinoa, onion, carrots, and spices like ginger and turmeric.

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