This Panera Greek Salad dupe is easy, quick, and just as tasty as the restaurant version! Made with a herby olive oil vinaigrette dressing, this yummy salad is refreshing, light, and perfect for a healthy lunch or dinner. Add chicken or protein of choice to make this recipe more filling.
Save money while enjoying a delicious restaurant dupe with this Panera Greek salad. It’s quick, easy, and only takes 10 minutes to create! Plus, it’s easy to adjust to your taste preference, as you can include whichever veggies and toppings best fit your needs.
I use feta cheese for this recipe, but don’t worry if that isn’t your preference! Check out The 10 Best Substitutes for Feta Cheese.
If you need more salad inspiration, try making these recipes this week: Asian Cabbage Salad with Peanut Dressing, Goat Cheese Salad with Arugula, and Easy Caesar Salad.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy – This Panera Greek salad recipe requires no cooking, so it’s a great option for home chefs with all skill levels.
- Flavorful – The herby vinaigrette perfectly complements this recipe’s fresh veggies, feta, and olives.
- Tangy – The vinaigrette, olives, and feta create a yummy, tangy taste in this dish.
- Cheesy – Feta adds the perfect amount of flavor to this Panera Greek salad recipe.
- Budget-friendly – Most items are likely already in your kitchen, making this a recipe that’s easy on the wallet.
- Vegetarian – This dish has no meat, so it’s a great option for vegetarians or those trying to cut down on their meat intake.
- Great for a quick meal – Since there’s no cooking involved, this recipe is ready in about 10 minutes (including prep time!).
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Red Wine Vinegar: Instead of using red wine vinegar for this Panera Greek salad, you can use white or apple cider vinegar. Add more vinegar to this salad cuisine according to your taste preference.
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
Be sure you know Hot To Cut Romaine Lettuce for Salad!
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make a Copycat Panera Greek Salad
Quick Overview
- Blend dressing ingredients.
- Toss salad.
- Garnish.
Step by Step Instructions
Ensure the dressing ingredients are chopped/processed into small pieces so they combine more easily.
Step 1: Blend all of the ingredients for the dressing in a small food processor or blender. Alternatively, grate or finely mince the garlic. Whisk all of the ingredients together.
Step 2: In a large bowl, toss all of the salad ingredients with dressing to taste. Garnish with more toppings if desired.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Garnish this Panera Bread Greek salad with lemon slices (for more fresh lemon juice), fresh herbs, and extra crumbles of feta cheese (if you wish).
I love serving this Panera Greek salad with a meat-forward entrée to turn it into a full meal. Here are a few ideas:
- Easy Brown Sugar Garlic Pork Chops
- Air Fryer Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Pesto Crusted Salmon with Garlic Lemon Panko
Expert Tips
- Use fresh and high-quality ingredients. Since this Panera Greek salad is so simple, using high-quality ingredients is essential as it will make a big difference in flavor. Consider items like refrigerated olives made locally instead of canned olives for the best dish.
- Blend the dressing. If you don’t blend the dressing, you’ll have large chunks of garlic in the dressing, which can provide an unappealing flavor. Blending the dressing also ensures it’s well mixed.
- Toss the salad vs. pouring dressing on top. If you simply drizzle the dressing on top, the bottom layers of the salad won’t have the delicious, zesty, tangy flavor. By tossing the salad, all the flavors will be incorporated together well, creating a really good Greek salad.
Additions & Variations
- Use veggies of your choice – This simple Panera Greek salad is versatile. You can use the veggies you enjoy instead of the listed items. Or, add veggies to the recipe. A few ideas for Panera Greek salad ingredients include bell peppers, grape tomatoes, parmesan cheese, banana peppers, chickpeas, beets, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, and grilled halloumi.
- Add chicken – If you want to increase the protein without making an entirely separate dish, create a Panera Greek salad with chicken. Add pre-cooked chicken (like rotisserie chicken) for this variation.
Recipe FAQs
Panera’s Greek salad recipe features a Mediterranean flavor, using spices like rosemary and Greek seasoning. The dressing also includes olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and garlic.
While both salads are inspired by Mediterranean flavors (including this Panera Greek salad), they are not the same dishes. Mediterranean salad is much simpler and has the following ingredients: cucumber, parsley, tomatoes, and a simple dressing with lemon juice and olive oil. In comparison, Greek salads typically have the above ingredients, feta, olives, onion, and seasoning.
No, Panera’s Greek salad dressing does not have dairy. It’s also vegetarian and gluten-free.
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Panera Greek Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/4 cup good quality olive oil
- 1-2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar*
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon EACH dried oregano, parsley, rosemary, & thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon EACH ground mustard, Morton kosher salt, & freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon honey, optional
Salad
- 1 large head of romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced into rings
- 4-5 pepperoncini
Instructions
- Blend all of the ingredients for the dressing in a small food processor or blender. Alternatively, grate or finely mince the garlic. Whisk all of the ingredients together.1/4 cup good quality olive oil, 1-2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar*, 1 lemon, juiced, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 teaspoon EACH dried oregano, parsley, rosemary, & thyme, 1/4 teaspoon EACH ground mustard, Morton kosher salt, & freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon honey, optional
- In a large bowl, toss all of the salad ingredients with dressing to taste. Garnish with more toppings if desired.1 large head of romaine lettuce, chopped, 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, 1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted, 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced into rings, 4-5 pepperoncini
Notes
- Red Wine Vinegar: Instead of using red wine vinegar for this Panera Greek salad, you can use white or apple cider vinegar. Add more vinegar to this salad cuisine according to your taste preference.
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
- Use fresh and high-quality ingredients. Since this Panera Greek salad is so simple, using high-quality ingredients is essential as it will make a big difference in flavor. Consider items like refrigerated olives made locally instead of canned olives for the best dish.
- Blend the dressing. If you don’t blend the dressing, you’ll have large chunks of garlic in the dressing, which can provide an unappealing flavor. Blending the dressing also ensures it’s well mixed.
- Toss the salad vs. pouring dressing on top. If you simply drizzle the dressing on top, the bottom layers of the salad won’t have the delicious, zesty, tangy flavor. By tossing the salad, all the flavors will be incorporated together well, creating a really good Greek salad.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
can you use pickled pepperoncinis?
Yes!
Sounds great, and I will definitely try this out.
I would love to know where you got those wonderful little fluted bowls, though! I have some that were my mother’s, but I have no idea where they came from, and I need some more. I haven’t had any luck Googling for them, either, because I haven’t figured out what to even call them.
Thanks Wendy! I believe you are referring to these white ramekins, https://amzn.to/3wxswOO, from Amazon. Hope this helps!