Filled with whole grains, veggies, and healthy fats, these Panera-inspired Mediterranean grain bowls are a great way to transform humble pantry staples into a hearty and flavourful meal. Not only can they be served immediately but they also store well in the fridge, making them a great meal prep idea for healthy weekday lunches.
How to Make the Panera Mediterranean Grain Bowl
Inspired by the Panera grain bowl menu, this Mediterranean grain bowl recipe is my copycat take on the popular menu item.
Cook the Grains: A blend of cilantro-lime rice and quinoa is the base for these grain bowls and it is packed full of flavor. The recipe calls for a combination of brown rice and quinoa, however, you can truly use any grains or combination of grains that you enjoy.
Prep the Dressing: The zesty lemon-tahini dressing adds a nice punch of flavor and a creamy texture to the bowls at the same time.
Chop the Veggies: To keep with the Mediterranean theme, these grain bowls are made with arugula, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and kalamata olives, however, you can truly add any vegetables that you enjoy.
Grill the Chicken: Although including grilled chicken is optional, it is a quick and easy way to add a big boost of protein to the bowls.
Combine the Bowls: The bowls can be combined in any order that you like and can be served hot or cold, depending on your preference.
Panera Mediterranean Grain Bowl Recipe
These Panera-inspired grain bowls are a hearty and healthy dish that works for a simple weeknight meal or lunch. Layered with whole grains, leafy greens, veggies, grilled chicken, hummus, yogurt, tahini dressing, and a crumble of feta cheese, these Mediterranean grain bowls are the perfect addition to your copycat recipe repertoire!
More Mediterranean Bowls:
Mediterranean Grain Bowls
Inspired by Panera’s restaurant menu, these Mediterranean grain bowls are filled with warm grains, hummus, Greek yogurt, feta cheese, and grilled chicken to create a hearty and healthy meal.
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Prep Time: 5 minutes -
Cook Time: 40 minutes
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Total Time: 45 minutes
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Yield: 2 bowls 1x
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Category: Salad
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Cuisine: Mediterranean
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Cuisine:Ingredients
Bowls:
- 1/2 cup brown rice, dry
- 1/4 cup quinoa, dry
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 1 cup arugula
- 1/2 cup cucumber, sliced
- 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 kalamata olives
- 1 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons hummus
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 8 oz grilled chicken (optional)
Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- In a small pot or saucepan, combine the brown rice, 1 cup of water, zest and juice of one lime and ground coriander. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, add quinoa and remaining 1/2 cup of water, stir to combine with the brown rice, cover, and continue to cook on low for 15 minutes or until rice and quinoa are cooked and can be fluffed with a fork.
- While the rice and quinoa are cooking, prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, add the tahini, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and whisk to combine. Add a splash of water to thin the dressing as needed, you want it to be creamy, but not too thick.
- Once the rice and quinoa are cooked, remove from the heat and begin to assemble the bowls.
- Split the rice and rice mixture evenly across two bowls, layer with arugula, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and olives, and then top each bowl with grilled chicken (optional), a dollop of hummus, Greek yogurt, a sprinkle of feta and a drizzle of dressing.
- These bowls can be served immediately or stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. If making them ahead of time, it is best to add the hummus, yogurt and dressing when you are ready to serve to ensure the ingredients do not get soggy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 563 calories
- Sugar: 5 grams
- Fat: 17 grams
- Carbohydrates: 64 grams
- Fiber: 6 grams
- Protein: 39 grams
Keywords: panera, chicken, warm
Delicious! Can’t wait to make these again!
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I LOVE Panera’s Mediterranean Grain Bowls and have started making them at home. I don’t include the yogurt, feta or hummus but it is equally delicious! Your site is quickly becoming my go-to reference. Thank you!
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Great recipe! I made the tahini dressing according to directions and both my husband and I really liked it.
I made a few substitutions due to what I had in the house…
I didn’t have brown rice or quinoa so I used bulgar and farrow instead. I cooked them without seasoning then added a Mexican spice blend when they were done. I had a yellow pepper I needed to use so I added that and I liked the additional color.
We’re having a bunch of people over for dinner tonight and I’m going to make this again but have very one build their own bowl. We have a blend of vegetarians and non-vegetarians so I think this will be perfect to provide a great meal but allow people to modify it to fit their desires.
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Such great ideas and substitutions, thanks for sharing! I also love the idea of a build your own bowl dinner bar – works for everyone! 🙂
One of favorites!
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love it
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So good and so easy. A go to of mine at least twice a week!
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So happy you like it!
One of my favorites!
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Fantastic. Thank you
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I made it without chicken and found it to be quite filling. The flavors blend together deliciously.
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I’m so happy you enjoyed them, Pamela. 🙂