We all love stopping for a quick bite to eat at a café or a fast food place, but the meals that we get there might not always be the healthiest. That’s where Panera Bread comes in!
Across their over 2000 bakery-cafés across the United States and Canada, Panera Bread has been supplying people with healthy meals for decades.
This is down to their menu, which is packed with dishes that are not only delicious, but good for you too. From sandwiches to baked goods, you’re bound to find something you love.
However, one of their tastiest and healthiest options are their salads.
Panera Bread has a wide range of salads, all with their own unique flavors and ingredients, and all bursting with green goodness. However, what are their best ones?
Well, we’ve got the answers for you! In our handy guide below, we’re going to show you the 12 tastiest Panera salads. Your new favorite meal is waiting – read on!
12 Tastiest Panera Salads To Buy
1. Asian Sesame Salad With Chicken
We’re starting our list off with this delicious and healthy dish from Panera’s salad selection. As you can guess from its title, this particular meal contains sesame seeds, salad, and chicken.
But what type of chicken? Well, it’s a fresh and healthy chicken that was raised without any antibiotics, meaning that you’re getting a piece of meat that’s good for you. Other places will raise their chicken with antibiotics, which affects the animal slightly.
As for the salad itself, it involves beautifully crisp romaine lettuce, along with some cilantro herb for added taste.
Also in the mix are almonds, so please stay away if you have a nut allergy! Additionally, wonton strips are added too, which are tasty concoctions made from eggs, water, and flour – they’re extremely light!
Finally, an Asian sesame vinaigrette to give it an authentic taste of Asian cuisine.
2. Greek Salad
A Greek salad is a bit of a classic, and especially a good pick if you like having Greek cuisine.
As for the ingredients, it’s as healthy a blend as you would expect! The primary parts are the romaine lettuce, which is very crisp and refreshing, and the plump tomatoes. The tomatoes are of the red grape variety, which are lovely and juicy.
Another key ingredient is the feta cheese. For cheese lovers, this is definitely a favorite, thanks to its mixture of tanginees and saltiness. It’s a great addition to any salad, and it makes this one even better.
After that, there are some red onions and kalamata olives to bring new tastes and textures to the salad, as well as a Greek dressing sauce which makes it really taste like something you could be eating on the coasts of Greece.
Finally, we’ve got to mention the peperoncini. These are hot chili peppers, which give it an extra kick of spice! If you don’t like spicy salads, then be warned!
3. Caesar Salad With Chicken
Now this is a favorite of ours! Who doesn’t like a great chicken caesar salad? There’s something indescribable about the blend of tasty chicken and smoky garlic flavors, mixed with a touch of lemon and cheese too.
Despite its beautifully rich flavor and range of tastes, the chicken caesar salad is actually deceptively easy to make, with only a handful of ingredients.
For one, you’ve got the chicken. This has again been raised without any antibiotics, which is the case for all panera Bread salads that have chicken in them. This means that you’re getting a much healthier and happier chicken!
After that, you’ve got the caesar sauce, which is typically made up of things like garlic, Dijon, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and more. It’s a complex range of ingredients, which is fitting because the deliciously salty and earthy taste that it creates is just as complex.
Parmesan cheese is the cheese of choice for this caesar salad, with it being grated onto it. On top of that, there are some crisp leaves of romaine lettuce for the plump green healthiness that you’d expect of a salad, and some black pepper croutons to add some crunchiness (and a tiny bit of spice) to the dish. Delicious!
4. Fuji Apple Salad With Chicken
This is an interesting one! You may not have thought about combining apple with chicken, but we can tell you that it’s a delicious and refreshing combination. As a result, this is a great salad to try!
The ingredients are pretty varied, giving you a great range of different flavors. You’ve got the chicken (which was raised without any antibiotics as usual), some red onions, and a bunch of red grape tomatoes for an added juiciness.
On top of that, there are four different types of healthy leaves! You’ve got romaine lettuce, arugula, red leaf, and kale. You can bet that these are not only tasty, but very healthy for you.
There’s also some gorgonzola cheese, along with pecan nuts. Finally, you’ve got the apple chips for some fruitiness, and a vinaigrette to give it some extra juiciness.
5. Green Goddess Cobb Salad With Chicken
What a name! And this is truly a salad fit for the gods.
Why? Well, it’s got a wonderful range of different ingredients, including one you will be surprised at: hard boiled eggs. That’s right, this salad has halves of hard boiled eggs scattered in it, and they give it a brilliantly unique taste.
Also brilliant is the inclusion of bits of avocado, which gives the salad a great creamy, buttery taste. This contrasts well with the bits of chopped bacon that are also added in, giving it a meaty edge that’s also matched by some chicken.
After that, you’ve got a range of four types of leaf (arugula, kale, red leaf, and romaine lettuce), some refreshing “green goddess dressing”, tomatoes, and pickled red onions.
6. Caesar Salad
We’ve already covered the caesar salad with chicken that Panera Bread sells, but this is the regular caesar salad without the added meat. This is a good pick for the vegetarians out there!
As for the ingredients, they’re all the same, just minus the chicken. You’ve got some crispy romaine lettuce for the green healthiness, some crunchy croutons (black pepper, so there’s an added kick), some caesar sauce, and grated parmesan to top it all off. Delicious and simple!
7. BBQ Chicken Salad
If you love BBQ sauce or the taste of a lovely big BBQ, then this delicious salad from Panera Bread is the choice for you. BBQ chicken is one of the absolute best ways to eat chicken, and this doesn’t disappoint.
First off, the chicken in this has been raised without the use of any antibiotics, meaning that the animal is a lot healthier for you.
On top of that, you’ve got the sauce, which is a beautiful blend mixture: apple cider vinegar BBQ sauce. This is perfectly tangy, sharp, and a little fruity.
Needless to say, it makes the salad very refreshing and tasty. As if that wasn’t enough, some regular BBQ sauce is added in too.
Additionally, you’ve got the romaine lettuce for healthiness, some frizzled onions for a bit of added flavor, and some bean corn salsa – which will give the salad an edge of spiciness!
8. Citrus Asian Crunch Salad With Chicken
This is a lovely and unique salad from panera Bread, packed with ingredients that you might not have tried together before.
First off, you’ve got some crispy romaine lettuce to give the salad some extra green healthiness. It’s not a salad without green leaves! However, on top of that, there are crispy carrots added in too.
Carrots aren’t in enough salads these days, which is a shame because they really add something to them!
In addition to those, there is also a “power vegetable blend” that’s used, making this healthy salad even healthier – and even healthier still!
There are also some cilantro herbs for added flavor, some red onions (pickled), and edamame. If you haven’t had it, edamame tastes like nutty peas – which really adds to the salad!
Finally, you’ve got the two sauces for refreshment and taste, which are teriyaki and tangerine soy ginger dressing. Put some warm meat from a chicken thigh on top, and you’ve got a tasty salad!
9. Baja Bowl With Chicken
On top of offering salads, Panera Bread also offers a variety of “warm bowls”. These are just like salads, with a whole range of healthy ingredients, only warm! On top of that, they contain quinoa and rice too. Delicious!
This Baja Bowl has a mixture of all the favorites that you’ve seen in some of the fanciest salads so far. For example, it’s got bits of avocado in it to make it extra creamy tasting. At the same time, some bean corn salsa gives it a kick of spice that contrasts well.
Meanwhile, there is Greek yogurt added too, which makes the salad a lot more cooling and refreshing.
However, there is a contrast again! With the addition of salsa verde, you get a sauce that’s zesty and tangy, which clashes with the cooling yogurt in a way that’s…actually really tasty! Panera Bread (see also ‘7 Best Soups From Panera Bread‘) certainly knows what they’re doing.
Chopped red grape tomatoes then give the salad a bit of juiciness, while feta cheese makes it even creamier.
Chicken gives it an edge of meat (though you can get the bowl without chicken), while a blend of quinoa and rice bulk the meal up and make it extra healthy.
10. Mediterranean Bowl With Chicken
If you want a taste of the Mediterranean with your warm salad, rice, and quinoa bowl, then this is the choice for you!
There are loads of ingredients to this bowl, making it the most packed meal yet. We’ve got arugula, cucumber, tomatoes, and kalamata olives for a start. These all give it an air of juiciness and healthiness.
On top of that, there are three sauces. You’ve got some thick and delicious hummus, some cool and refreshing Greek yogurt, and then a bit of tangy lemon tahini. These all give the salad bowl a lightness, but also a range of different flavors.
Finally, feta cheese makes the meal creamy and cheesy, while the rice and quinoa blend bulks it up. And to top it all off? Bits of chicken! For a meaty edge, some chicken is added in too, which goes perfectly with all the other ingredients.
11. Teriyaki Chicken And Broccoli Bowl
This is another delicious salad bowl that’s got quinoa and rice thrown into the mix too, making it bigger and healthier.
With this one, you’ve got some delicious chicken thigh meat providing the meaty edge to the mix of healthy goodness.
The chicken, like all chicken that Panera Bread uses, has been raised without any antibiotics. This makes it a much healthier chicken for you, and you should be able to taste the difference.
After that you’ve got the crunchy broccoli, which is such a refreshing contrast to the meat – and not to mention good for you!
On top of that, there is a teriyaki glaze to everything, which has been based in soy sauce. This gives it a great mix of sweetness and saltiness.
Additionally, cilantro herb is added, as well as some sesame seeds, giving it an all around healthy edge. Finally, last but not least, comes the quinoa and brown rice blend. This makes it a lot more filling, as well as providing even more healthiness!
12. Baja Bowl
Finally, we’re going to look at the excellent Baja Bowl that Panera Bread offers (see also ‘11 Panera Bread Menu Items You Need To Try‘). This is the same as the one we looked at earlier, only that one had chicken added into it.
The addition of chicken does make the other version tasty, giving it a meaty edge to all the refreshing vegetables, but it isn’t essential. That’s why there’s this vegetarian alternative that’s just as wonderful.
As for the ingredients, it’s the same/ You’ve got two sauces (salsa verde and Greek yogurt) giving it both tanginess and cool refreshment, while some bean corn salsa adds to the spicy feel.
On top of that, tomatoes make it juicy, while avocado makes it taste quite buttery. Feta cheese adds some creaminess and the blend of rice and quinoa makes it bulky and healthy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do You Get Free Sides With Panera Bread Salads?
Yes! With every Panera Bread salad or bowl, you get a delicious side for free. You can choose from a French baguette, an apple, or even some chips.
Final Thoughts
Panera Bread is famous for their healthy food, especially their salads. Read our guide to find their tastiest 12!
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