Name: Copycat Panera Spicy Thai Salad with Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp creamy peanut butter; 1 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp mirin; 2 tbsp water; 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp water; 1/2 tsp honey; 1 tbsp mirin; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp apple cider vinegar; 1/2 lime (juiced); 1 tbsp sweet chili sauce; 2 tsp minced garlic; 1 tsp fresh ginger (grated); 2 cups romaine lettuce (chopped); 1-2 chicken breasts (cooked, sliced); 2 tbsp sliced almonds; 2 tbsp roasted red peppers (sliced); 15 pods edamame (beans removed); 2 tbsp cilantro (chopped); 1 small carrot (julienned); 1/4 cup wonton strips

Love this Panera Spicy Thai Salad – there’s so many different crunchy items packed into this salad. Then top the salad with this spicy dressing and peanut sauce – it’s a favorite in our house!

Copycat Panera Spicy Thai Salad with Chicken

There are a lot of ingredients in this dish but, let me tell you, it’s definitely worth it! I love the pop of the edamame with the crunch of the wonton strips – then topped with that spicy vinaigrette. It’s a little sweet, a little salty and a whole lot of delicious.

How do you make Spicy Thai Vinaigrette?

Salad dressings are very simple – and you can always double the recipe! I make it in a mason jar – then just shake it up whenever I’m ready for salad. This one has quite a few ingredients – but you likely have all of them already. Mix together soy sauce, water, honey, mirin (rice wine vinegar), olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, sweet chili sauce, garlic and ginger.

Mirin is a rice wine – similar to sake but with less alcohol and more sugar. If you don’t have that, you can use rice wine vinegar or even dry white wine. You could make your own sweet chili sauce but I use it a lot so I always have a bottle in the fridge.

How do you make Panera’s Spicy Thai Salad?

Once you have the dressing together, it’s just a matter of putting everything together. I love using big pasta bowls for salad. First make a nice bed of romaine lettuce. I usually cheat and buy a bag of it already chopped – makes for quick lunches. Then add your toppings.

I marinate 2-3 chicken breasts on Friday night in whatever dressing is in my fridge. Then I air fry the chicken at 350 for 12 minutes. Then pop them in an air-tight container and they’re ready for salads or pasta any time!

Slice the chicken for your salad – if you have a big chicken breast – you can probably split it between two people. Top with sliced almonds, roasted red peppers (from the jar or you can roast one yourself when you’re grilling), edamame, carrot, cilantro and wonton strips.

To make your own roasted red peppers – I pop a red pepper on the grill until the skin blisters on each side. Then I refrigerate and use them in salads and pasta dishes. With edamame – I keep a bag of the pods in my freezer and pull out a handful for salads. I heat them in the microwave and then after they cool – they’re ready for the salad!

Lastly, drizzle with your dressing and the peanut sauce. The sauce is a little thick – but just sprinkle it around – you’ll mix it all together anyway.

Other Copycat Panera Salads & Bowls

Panera has so many great salads – I’ve made a few of them – here are some of my favorites: