Grain bowls are a great dish if you want to eat something healthy and filling at the same time. Panera’s Mediterranean bowl can be filled with grains, leafy greens, and protein of choice (if you get it with one).
If you want a filling Mediterranean bowl, you don’t have to order at Panera to get one. You can make this Panera Mediterranean bowl and have control over how fresh your meal is.
You can adjust the flavors, add more veggies, and even prep it beforehand to have a delicious bowl any time of the day.
In this article, I will guide you on making a Panera Mediterranean bowl at home. The ingredients are very simple; if you are up for it, you can even make your dressing at home, too! Gather your ingredients, and let’s get to it!
In this article:
- Ingredients Needed to Make Panera Mediterranean Bowl
- Equipment Needed to Make Panera Mediterranean Bowl
- Step-By-Step Instructions
- Tips on Making Panera Mediterranean Bowl at Home
- Bonus: Tahini Dressing and Hummus Recipe
- How to Store Homemade Panera Mediterranean Bowl
Ingredients Needed to Make Panera Mediterranean Bowl
- 1 cup brown rice, cooked
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced into strips or diced
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil (to cook chicken with)
- 2 cups arugula or any Mixed greens packed
- 10 grape tomatoes, halved
- 10 kalamata olives, halved
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ¼ cup tahini dressing
- ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 4 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 4 tablespoons hummus
- Cilantro for garnish, chopped
Equipment Needed to Make Panera Mediterranean Bowl
- 2 medium-sized salad bowls
- Saucepan or rice cooker
- Cutting board
- Knife
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Cook the brown rice and quinoa according to the package instructions.
- While the grains are cooking, cook the chicken breasts with olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan until fully cooked on both sides. Slice the cooked chicken breasts into long strips or dice into small bite-sized pieces.
- Once the grains are cooked, mix the brown rice and quinoa together.
- Portion the arugula or the mixed greens into two salad bowls.
- Add the grains on top of the mixed greens. Make sure to divide the grains equally between the two bowls.
- Add the rest of the veggies such as the sliced cucumbers, kalamata olives, and grape tomatoes to the bowls.
- Add the sliced or diced chicken breasts on top of the veggies.
- Pour the lemon juice and put crumbled feta cheese on top of the ingredients.
- Drizzle the tahini dressing all over the grain bowl.
- Finish off the bowls with hummus and Greek yogurt on the top or side of the ingredients.
- Sprinkle some chopped cilantro on top, serve, and enjoy!
Tips on Making Panera Mediterranean Bowl at Home
Use your choice of protein. This copycat recipe does not have to be limited to using chicken as the main protein. You can definitely use lean red meat, tofu, salmon, or even beans.
Customize to your liking. Aside from using your choice of protein, you can also add nuts, fruits, and other herbs to your Panera-style Mediterranean bowl.
Make your own dressing. If you are all for convenience, then you can stick to store-bought tahini dressing and hummus. But, if you have the time and resources, making your own dressing can be very satisfying.
Prep ahead. This Mediterranean bowl is very easy to make but if you are busy, you can always prep ahead. Pre-cooking your grains and protein can save you time. You can also cut the vegetables ahead of time and place them in an airtight container.
Add spices to your chicken or protein of choice. If you want additional flavor to your Mediterranean bowl, you can let the chicken marinade for a couple of hours before you cook them. It can be a dry or wet marinade with your favorite spices and seasonings.
Bonus: Tahini Dressing and Hummus Recipe
If you are up to making your own tahini dressing and hummus, they are very easy to do.
Remember, you don’t have to make your own tahini dressing or even the hummus. You can always use the store-bought ones, especially if you don’t have the time to make everything from scratch.
To store homemade tahini and hummus, you can place them in an airtight container and put them in the fridge. Homemade tahini can also for a couple of days at room temperature but hummus needs to be refrigerated.
Tahini Dressing Recipe
To make your own tahini dressing, you will need ⅓ cup of tahini, 1 to 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, 1 minced garlic clove, juice of a medium-sized lemon, 1 pinch of salt, and a couple of tablespoons of water.
- Mix all of the ingredients together (except the water) and whisk until everything is combined.
- If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add 1 tablespoon of water. Adjust the amount of water depending on how thick or thin you want your sauce to be.
- You can also adjust the amount of maple syrup, salt, or even lemon juice to your liking.
Hummus Recipe
To make your own hummus, you will need ¼ cup cooked chickpeas, ⅓ cup tahini, juice of one medium-sized lemon, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove, and a couple of tablespoons of water.
- Put all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until you get a thick consistency.
- Add 1 tablespoon of water if needed. Adjust the amount of water to achieve your desired consistency. Just make sure your hummus is not runny.
Tahini Recipe
You can also make your own tahini if you want everything to be homemade. To make tahini, you will need 2 cups of hulled sesame seeds, sea salt, and 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
- In a saucepan, lightly toast the sesame seeds over medium heat.
- Carefully transfer the toasted sesame seeds into a blender or food processor.
- Blend the sesame seeds until they form into a coarse powder.
- Add the olive oil and blend until you get a smooth consistency. It should not be too thick but thin enough to be pourable.
How to Store Homemade Panera Mediterranean Bowl
This Panera Mediterranean Bowl can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days as long as you put it in an airtight container.
If you think can’t finish the grain bowl in one sitting, try not to put the tahini dressing, hummus, and Greek yogurt all in your bowl. There’s no problem tossing all the ingredients in one container but the grains can get soggy if the dressing is already mixed in.
To reheat, the Mediterranean bowl, you can heat it in the microwave for about 30 to 60 seconds. Just make sure to transfer it to a microwave-safe container. You can also eat it straight out of the fridge and enjoy it cold.
Wrapping Up
You don’t have to order out every time you want to eat something healthy. Panera’s Mediterranean bowl is something that you can whip up in less than 30 minutes and it is a very filling meal.
This copycat recipe is also easy to follow and all the cooking you’ll do is just the rice and the chicken. For the rest of the ingredients, you’ll just need to chop the veggies!
You can also challenge yourself by making tahini and hummus and following the recipes above! Let me know how it goes!
Related Panera Copycat Recipes:
- How to Make Panera Baja Bowl
- How to Make Panera Green Tea at Home
- How to Make Panera Mac & Cheese at Home – Affordable & Fast
