Reason number 247,628 why I love summer? Panera’s Strawberry Poppyseed Salad. It is hands down my favorite salad, and I look forward to Panera bringing it back each summer. With juicy slices of chicken, crunchy bites of pecans, and a sweet explosion of fresh summertime fruit, this salad is amazing.
I kept the same fresh flavors throughout the recipe, but I substituted baby spinach for the traditional romaine lettuce, just to incorporate some extra vitamins and nutrients. You can either make your own poppyseed dressing (recipe below), or find a favorite at your local grocery store (there are some really tasty options out there). However you decide to dress it, this salad provides a light, refreshing, and satisfying meal that is perfect for lunch or dinner. Enjoy!
Panera’s Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
Serves 1
Salad
- 3 cups baby spinach
- You may also use romaine
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
- 1/2 cup pineapple chunks (in juice) – drained
- 1/2 cup mandarin oranges – drained
- 1/4 cup pecans or slivered almonds
- 3 ounces grilled chicken breast – sliced
- If you are looking to save time, there are many pre-grilled refrigerated chicken options, which you can find near the lunch meat. The brands that come to mind are Oscar Meyer and Perdue.
- Poppyseed Dressing – to taste (about 2-4 tablespoons)
- Homemade (recipe follows) or Store-bought
Strawberry Poppyseed Dressing
Inspired from Food.com
- 1/4 cup light Miracle Whip
- You can also use light mayo, but I would increase the sugar a little bit
- 2 tbls. milk
- 1 tbls. sugar or Splenda
- Add more or less depending on desired sweetness
- 1 tbls. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. poppy seeds
- Toss together salad ingredients in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients.
- Drizzle desired amount of dressing over the salad and toss to coat evenly.
- Refrigerate remaining dressing for future use.
- Enjoy!
4 Comments
Did their salad always have pineapple or did you add that in? I don't remember it.
I love this salad too, it's a great refreshing meal.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure they have pineapple there…though maybe not… Either way, it's tasty 🙂
It definitely had pineapple in it. Are the calories the same in this recipe?
This entire recipe has about 500 calories. That being said, this recipe is HUGE. You could easily cut it in half for a delicious lunch at around 250 calories. I just made this recipe so huge because I was craving a hearty yet healthy dinner one night:)