Our Strawberry Poppyseed Salad is a copycat recipe of the popular Panera favorite, with a few changes that we think make it even better! It's made with chopped romaine, fresh blueberries, strawberries, mandarin oranges, grilled chicken, and pecans. Then, it's topped with our homemade poppyseed dressing, as well as a few of our own personal enhancements to the original version (avocado and feta!). This recipe tastes so much Better Than Store-Bought!
Just like the salad you know and love, but with a few simple tweaks!
Our Better Than Store-Bought series on social media is popular for a reason. We are constantly looking for store-bought foods that can easily be enhanced with a few of our own simple tweaks. Just like our Crispy Rice Bowl and Hot Honey Chicken Plate (both Sweetgreen dupes), this recipe is no different!
We took the fan-favorite Strawberry Poppyseed Salad from Panera and sprinkled some of our own Crowded Kitchen flare into it.
The original recipe includes romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, blueberries, strawberries, mandarin oranges, pecans, and poppyseed dressing - just like ours. However, Panera's also includes pineapple slices that we thought made the salad a bit too sweet and soggy for our liking, so we opted to leave them out.
Additionally, we added some crumbled feta and diced avocado for some additional salty notes and creaminess. Both elements seemed to be missing from the original and we've unanimously decided that our version with these added ingredients is DEFINITELY better.
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Key Ingredients Needed for this Copycat Panera Salad
- Romaine lettuce: Spinach is usually a popular green in most berry salads (like this one!), but in keeping with the Panera-copycat theme, we opted for romaine lettuce instead. It's crisp and holds up well with the abundance of toppings.
- Fresh fruit: We recommend using fresh blueberries, strawberries, and mandarin oranges. If you're in a pinch, you can use just 1 or 2 of these fruits and it shouldn't change the overall flavor too drastically.
- Feta: The original store-bought salad doesn't have feta, but we felt it adds a nice creamy, saltiness and balances out the fresh flavors well.
- Homemade poppyseed dressing: A homemade dressing is always our first choice. This poppyseed dressing is made tangy from greek yogurt and vinegar and includes some mandarin juice and honey for additional flavor and sweetness.
How to Assemble this Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
- Make the dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- To make the salad, prep all of the ingredients. Add romaine lettuce to a large bowl or serving platter. Evenly top the lettuce with the remaining ingredients.
- Drizzle poppyseed dressing over top and toss to coat.
Top Tips from the CK Test Kitchen!
- After washing the berries, make sure to drain well and then thoroughly pat dry with paper towel or a clean dish towel. If they're too wet, they will make your salad soggy.
- Mix the dressing first. The longer the dressing can sit, the more the flavors can blend together.
- Save even more time with rotisserie chicken. If you don't feel like grilling chicken for topping the salad, you can just buy a rotisserie chicken from the store and dice it up instead.
- If you can't eat the entire salad in one sitting, store everything separately. Storing the toppings and dressing in separate containers in the fridge will ensure that the salad will last for a few days. Simply assemble your appropriate portion size just before serving.
More Chicken-Based Salads You'll Love
We can't wait for you to make this Strawberry Poppyseed Salad in your own home! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram. We can't wait to see what you're cooking!
Print📖 Recipe
Copycat Strawberry Poppyseed Salad (Just like Panera!)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Low-Carb
Description
Our Strawberry Poppyseed Salad is a copycat recipe of the popular Panera favorite. It's filled with the usual staples: chopped romaine, fresh blueberries, strawberries, mandarin oranges, diced chicken, and pecans. Then, it's topped with our homemade poppyseed dressing.
Ingredients
For the Poppyseed Dressing:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mandarin orange juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
For the Salad:
- 4 cups (packed) chopped romaine or 5 cups loosely packed (2 small-medium heads of romaine)
- ¾ cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup fresh sliced strawberries
- ½ cup mandarin oranges (2 small mandarins)
- ½ cup toasted pecans
- 2 grilled chicken breasts, diced
- ½ cup feta cheese
- 1 small avocado, diced
Instructions
- Make the dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- To make the salad, prep all of the ingredients. Add romaine lettuce to a large bowl or serving platter. Evenly top the lettuce with the remaining ingredients.
- Drizzle poppyseed dressing over top and toss to coat.
Notes
After washing the berries, make sure to drain well and then thoroughly pat dry with paper towel or a clean dish towel. If they're too wet, they will make your salad soggy.
Save time by using rotisserie chicken. If you don't feel like grilling chicken for the salad, you can just buy a rotisserie chicken from the store and dice it up instead.
Store toppings and salad dressing in separate containers in the fridge. If your family can't eat the entire salad in one sitting, store everything separately so the salad will stay fresh for a few days.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: American, Appetizer, Better Than Store Bought, Chicken, Dinner, Lunch, Salad
- Method: Assemble
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 536
- Sugar: 12.8 g
- Sodium: 389.9 mg
- Fat: 37.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 21.8 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 32.4 g
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