A fresh and healthy rainbow salad with lots of fruit, pecans, and a poppy seed dressing. This is a delicious gluten free lunch or dinner option!
One of my favorite restaurants is Panera. It used to be a much bigger favorite of mine, back in the day when I was eating wheat, eggs, and dairy, because of the bread. And the bagels, and the cheesy soups and sandwiches, and did I mention the BREAD?!? So good. (Not a sponsored post, I just was a really huge Panera fan in my earlier years). :)
In fact, there was a year where I was driving to Cleveland every other week for a lesson from the Associate Concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, and there was a really nice toll road service plaza that had a Panera. I so looked forward to stopping at that Panera on my way home. Yes, I was driving 3.5 hours to take a lesson that lasted about 90 minutes, and then turning around and driving the 3.5 hours to go home. The things you do when you’re young!
Anyway, there are still a few things that I can eat from Panera even though I now have food sensitivities to work around. I like the classic salad with chicken, the black bean soup, and my favorite: the strawberry, poppy seed, and chicken salad.
What really makes my favorite rainbow salad so special is the poppy seed dressing. I love it – it’s sweet, and it goes really well with crisp lettuce and fresh fruit. I decided I needed to make my own version of this salad at home. I made it for lunch without the chicken, but you could add chicken or turkey if you want.
It was SO easy to make the poppy seed dressing that goes over this rainbow salad. I just dumped the ingredients in a glass jar and shook it up. We kept it in the fridge for about three days, and it held up just fine.
I used blackberries, but the original Panera salad uses blueberries…any berries will work just fine and be delicious.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Recipe
Rainbow Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing.
Ingredients
- 2 romaine hearts chopped
- 2 cups blackberries
- 2 cups pineapple diced
- 2 cups mandarin oranges in light syrup drained
- 2 cups strawberries chopped
- 1 ½ cups pecan halves
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup white vinegar
- â…› cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon minced onion
- 1 cup organic canola oil
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Put all the ingredients in a glass jar with a lid. Close tightly and shake the jar until combined.
- Assemble the salads: Put a bed of romaine on each plate. Place the blackberries, pineapple, oranges, strawberries, and pecans in a neat row on top of the lettuce.
- Drizzle each salad with the poppy seed dressing.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Dressing adapted from here.
Have you ever made a favorite Panera menu item at home?
Handmade by Lorna
That fruit salad looks delicious – I am definitely going to try the poppy seed dressing, sounds lovely.
Kelly
Thanks, Lorna!
Mary
I usually avoid fruit salad because it’s hard to keep fruit fresh in chain restaurants, but this one makes my heart flutter. Can’t wait to make that poppyseed dressing.
Kelly
That’s true, Mary! It’s dissappointing when the fruit isnt’t fresh! Hope you like the dressing!
olivia - Primavera Kitchen
This salad looks relish!! And the poppy dressing sounds so good!
Kelly
Thanks, Olivia!
Sarah@WholeandHeavenlyOven
Oh, man. I will GLADLY eat a rainbow every day. Especially if it’s in the gorgeous form of a salad and covered in poppyseed dressing.
This salad is every kind of gorgeous, Kelly! Pretty photos, girl! ;)
Kelly
Thank you so much, Sarah!
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens
This is just all sorts of YUMMY!!! So beautiful, so healthy, too! I adore Panera’s black bean soup … but their salads are all fab, and your version is spectacular! Serious foodie eye candy! Totally pinning! And hey – if you ever get a hankering to drive all the way to Cleveland again … definitely drop Gretchen and me a line – we’d love to help you grab some primo chow! :D
Kelly
Thanks so much, Shelley! I will do that for sure! It’s harder to make road trips these days, but you never know! Thanks for pinning! :)
Caitlin
Ooo that poppyseed dressing sounds amazing! I’m going to make that tomorrow for lunch, it’s decided. I always used to buy Brianna’s brand from the grocery store, but I’m pretty sure it isn’t DF. My fave thing from Panera was the chocolate chip cookies! yumm.
Kelly
Thanks, Caitlin! And yes, the chocolate chip cookies are so good!
Allison
Fruit and poppy seed dressing were meant to be. I am so craving this right now! Sometimes a salad with some fruit is the only thing that will conquer a big produce craving. And I’ve never heard of this Panera place you speak of. It must be only in the US. It sounds magical! I think I need to get myself there ASAP
Kelly
What? You have to go to Panera some time! I guess it is just a US thing.
Julia
I love fruit in my salads and this is fully loaded – love it!! That poppy dressing sounds wonderful! It’s been forever since I’ve been to Panera, and I’m all about this coppy cat salad :D mmmmhmm!
Kelly
Thanks, Julia! I wish they would get some more gluten free options in there, then I wold go more often, too!
Annie @Maebells
I would probably give my right arm for an Asiago Cheese Bagel from Panera! :) We are gluten free too so that is not likely to happen any time soon! I love this salad though! So colorful!
Kelly
Oh, I know what you mean! I LOVED the chocolate chip bagels with hazelnut cream cheese. SO good!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
This salad looks beautiful! It definitely reminds me of Panera’s chicken and poppy seed salad, but I’m sure it tastes even better! :)
Kelly
Thanks, Gayle!
Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen
I love colorful salads and this one is just gorgeous! I’ll have to try it soon!
Kelly
I hope you like it, Kristine!