Simple greens, warm grains, creamy hummus, kalamata olives, and vegan feta make this simple Copycat Panera Mediterranean Bowl a healthy lunch or quick dinner that comes together in minutes!
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Panera Bread is my go-to restaurant when my family is on a road trip. It’s reliable, fresh, and many vegetarian and vegan options are available. Everyone in my family loves it and has their favorite menu item. My favorites include their Mediterranean Sandwich, black bean soup, or their most recent warm Mediterranean grain bowl.
I enjoy them so much that I make my copycat versions at home. Today, I’m creating a copycat version of their Panera Mediterranean Bowl. These quick and easy warm grain bowls are filling and flavorful. Most ingredients are pre-made, so you need to put them together. You can add optional protein in the form of chickpeas or falafel.
This simple recipe will quickly be on your lunch or dinner rotation.
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Why You’ll Love This Copycat Panera Mediterranean Bowl
Enjoy the Flavors at Home: Panera recently removed the Mediterranean bowl from their menu, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy the flavors. All of the components of the original recipe are reimagined in this copycat version.
Nutritious Lunch or Dinner: This recipe has fresh vegetables with vitamins and minerals and nutty quinoa with added protein and fiber. The creamy elements of the yogurt and hummus add healthy fats to a complete meal.
Quick and Easy: While this dish has numerous components, only the quinoa needs to be cooked; the vegetables simply need to be chopped, and then the bowl comes together quickly.
Ingredients and Notes
Quinoa: There are numerous varieties of quinoa. You can use the quinoa you choose, white, red, black, or a blend.
Mixed Greens: Spring greens are my favorite in this recipe. They are light and delicate. However, the recipe from Panera calls for a mix of romaine lettuce, spinach, and arugula, which you can add if you choose.
Veggies: Sliced cucumbers, halved cherry tomatoes, and thinly sliced red onion.
Kalamata Olives: Adds a nice briny flavor to the bowl. I prefer to use kalamata olives with the pits removed for easy eating.
Feta Cheese: The crumbled feta adds a salty flavor to the bowl. I use vegan feta, but you can use the feta of your choice.
Hummus: You can make your own hummus or use store-bought.
Plain Yogurt: Use the plain yogurt of your choice. I use vegan plain cashew yogurt.
Tahini Dressing: This dressing combines creamy tahini, tart lemon juice, a hint of sweet maple syrup, garlic, salt, and pepper, making it the perfect drizzle to finish your bowl.
How to Make Copycat Panera Mediterranean Bowl
- Rinse the quinoa through a mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Combine the quinoa and water in a medium
saucepan . Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender.
- While the quinoa is cooking, wash the greens, slice the cucumber, thinly slice the red onion, and cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
- Add one cup of greens to 4 bowls. Top with cooked quinoa, cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes, kalamata olives, and feta.
- Whisk together the tahini, water, lemon juice, maple syrup, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Add a scoop of hummus and a spoonful of plain yogurt. Drizzle with lemon tahini dressing, and serve.
📝 Expert Tips
- Use the leafy greens of your choice or whatever you have on hand.
- Add a richly creamy element by adding some diced avocado.
- Prepare the quinoa and tahini dressing in advance when you do your meal prep so that all you need to do is assemble your bowls when it’s dinner time.
- Don’t slice the vegetables until ready to assemble, and serve the grain bowls.
❓ FAQS
The bowl from Panera, with all ingredients and dressing included, has 570 calories. This copycat version has fewer calories, at about 463.
Add more protein to your bowls by adding a ½ cup of drained and rinsed chickpeas or sprinkle with hemp seeds. If you are not vegan, you can add sliced chicken breast.
Serving Suggestions
Serve in wide, shallow bowls so that you have lots of room to mix everything for the perfect bite.
This bowl is a complete meal in one and doesn’t need any additional side dishes. If you skip the quinoa, top the greens with bulgur pilaf or brown rice instead. However, bulgur is not gluten-free.
Storage
Store each component of the bowls in separate airtight containers. Keep the quinoa, greens, hummus, yogurt, and vegetables in the fridge for about 3 days.
When ready to serve again, quickly warm the quinoa in the microwave and assemble your bowls.
Video
More Copycat Recipes!
Recipe
Copycat Panera Mediterranean Bowl
Equipment
- 4 bowls for serving
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Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup hummus
- 4 cups mixed greens
- 1 cucumber sliced
- ½ cup grape tomatoes halved
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup kalamata olives seeded
- ¼ cup vegan feta cut into cubes
- ½ cup vegan plain cashew yogurt or regular Greek Yogurt
Tahini Lemon Dressing
- ¼ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa through a mesh strainer until the water runs clear. In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender.
- While the quinoa is cooking, wash the greens, slice the cucumber, thinly slice the red onion, and cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
- Add one cup of greens to 4 bowls. Top with cooked quinoa, cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes, kalamata olives, and feta.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, water, lemon juice, maple syrup, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add a scoop of hummus and a spoonful of plain yogurt. Drizzle the tahini dressing on top of the four bowls and serve.
Video
Notes
- Use the leafy greens of your choice or whatever you have on hand.
- Add a richly creamy element by adding some diced avocado.
- Prepare the quinoa and tahini dressing in advance when you do your meal prep so that all you need to do is assemble your bowls when it’s dinner time.
- Store each salad element in separate containers so the greens don’t become soggy. These ingredients will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in airtight containers.
- Don’t slice the vegetables until ready to serve.
Goof
Seems you might want to list the lemon juice as an ingredient for the Tahini Lemon Dressing.
Alison Corey
Fixed! Thank you!
rebecca
yum! love this easy salad recipe. it’s got so much flavor and crunch!
Nikki
I definitely could go for this healthy, nutritious, flavor packed mediterranean bowl. It’s simply divine.
Lauren Harris
I really love Panera salads and this copycat turned out very good! We make a salad every week and this one is definitely going on the regular rotation!
Ned
What a delicious bowl! I loved the quinoa in it! Thank you!
Helen
This looks amazing! Exactly the sort of thing I’d love to eat for lunch. Yum!