Panera Green Goddess Salad with Chicken (Panera Copycat)
This Panera Green Goddess Salad with Chicken is an easy-to-make, flavor-loaded Cobb salad. A blend of crisp romaine and spring lettuce, grilled chicken, juicy tomatoes, crispy bacon, and creamy avocado with a fresh, tangy, and bright green goddess dressing.
Place mayonnaise, yogurt, basil, shallot, pesto, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
Grill Chicken & Cook Hard Boiled Eggs
Brush the chicken with oil and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Heat the grill or a grill pan to medium-high. If using a grill, you want it at 400° F (204°C).Place the chicken breasts on the grill, close the lid, and cook for 5-6 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for 6 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165°F (74°C). Remove chicken to a cutting board, allowing it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
See notes for easy ways to hard-boil eggs if not using store bought.
Assemble Green Goddess Salads
While the chicken is resting, assemble the salads. Arrange each bowl or plate with lettuce, bacon, tomato, eggs, onion, avocado, and cheese.Slice the chicken and add that to the salad. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of dressing and enjoy immediately.
Notes
*If using sliced raw red onions, place in a strainer in a bowl of ice water, let sit for about 10 minutes to take the bite out of them.
You can make the dressing without a blender. Finely dice or grate the shallots, and finely chop the basil. Then whisk everything together in a bowl. Or add it all to a mason jar and shake vigorously.
You can find pickled red onions in the grocery store deli area or make your own.
Use Feta, Roquefort, goat, or gorgonzola, Cheddar, Colby, or Monterey Jack, any cheese you love will work with this recipe.
Substitute rotisserie chicken for a shortcut or a different cut of meat. Chicken thighs are a very tender option. You can use warm, just grilled chicken or cold-cooked chicken.
To make ahead of time, prep all your ingredients, except the avocado, but keep them in separate containers. Assemble just before serving and add the avocado. Avocado will discolor quickly when it comes in contact with air, so it should be added just before serving.
I cook a whole package of bacon in the oven and reserve the extra for another use, such as breakfast, sandwiches, or additional salads. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, then place the bacon side-by-side on the tray. Bake 10-20 minutes until desired crispness.
I love my Instant Pot for making hard-boiled eggs. Place 1 cup of COLD water in a 6-quart instant pot. Add eggs in a single layer to egg rack or trivet. Place lid on the pressure cooker and set it for 5 minutes on high pressure for cook time. Perform natural pressure release for 5 minutes. Then do a quick release and carefully remove eggs with a spoon from Instant Pot and place in an ice water bath. Let eggs sit in iced water for 5 minutes. Remove eggs from the water bath. Store in the fridge for up to 7 days unpeeled or peel, and use within 3 days.
For best results on a stovetop, put cold eggs in cold water, bring to a boil, then cover and turn the burner off. Let stand for 15 minutes. Drain the eggs, and put them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking immediately.
See post for more details and tips!Please note that the nutrition information does not include the dressing, please see the Green Goddess dressing recipe for dressing nutrition and as always run the ingredients through your own nutritional calculator for verification.