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–+ servings
Overhead view of strawberry salad in a bowl.
Lexi

Copycat Strawberry Poppyseed Salad (Just like Panera!)

5 from 1 vote
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.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: American, Appetizer, Better Than Store Bought, Chicken, Dinner, Lunch, Salad
Cuisine: American
Calories: 553

Video

Ingredients Method Nutrition Video Notes

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

Method
 

  1. Make the dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 553kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 34gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 581mgPotassium: 797mgFiber: 8gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 4465IUVitamin C: 40mgCalcium: 185mgIron: 3mg

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