What's Vegan at Panera Bread, Including What's Not on the Menu

Panera Bread’s vegan offerings cover enough ground for anyone to pick up a quick breakfast or lunch on their way to work or run errands. Alongside a fresh coffee or vegan smoothie, there’s plenty of options for a plant-based customer. Panera Bread is meant to bring certain comfort food to the customer, whether it’s a delicious bowl of soup or a fresh-baked loaf of bread. Even though Panera does not offer any vegan desserts, the restaurant’s bakery features several fresh dairy-free bread items.

Beyond the bread, Panera Bread provides several salads and other lunch items that can be made completely vegan with only a couple of modifications. As one of the most popular quick-service chains, most people will find themselves in Panera at one point. We have collected every item on the menu that comes plant-based or can easily be made plant-based. The best takeaway from Panera is the baked good that you can take home to make your own sandwiches. While Panera fans wait patiently for the company to release more soups and hopefully desserts in the future, here is the complete list of plant-based menu items.

Bakery

Bagels For the Family

One of the crown jewels of Panera Bread is its bagels. Even though Panera only offers avocado for plant-based toppings, it’s best to take home a dozen bagels for the week. Panera offers a giant range of bagel flavors including plain, everything, blueberry, cranberry walnut, salt, sesame, sprouted grain bagel flat, and poppyseed. Stop by a Panera, pick your favorite bagels, and bring them home for an easy breakfast and an at-home plant-based spread.

Freshly Baked Bread

Similar to the bagel, Panera Bread’s bread selection is perfect when you need to stop by and grab bread for the house or family. Next time you need a snack, you can grab a large variety of fully vegan bread that will cut down on the grocery trip. Panera offers several freshly baked styles of bread including black pepper focaccia, artisan ciabatta, country rustic sourdough XL loaf, whole grain farm style load, crusty XL loaf, classic sourdough loaf, classic sourdough Miche, sourdough bread bowls, tomato basil Miche, while whole grain loaf, whole grain sourdough loaf, whole-grain lavash, and the renowned French baguette. Our personal suggestion is to buy the baguette because it’s affordable and the perfect choice for everything from a park picnic spread to sandwiches on the move.

The Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich

Panera’s sandwich selection is minimal, but the Mediterranean Veggie makes up for the small quantity with quality. The sandwich comes with feta but can be made vegan easily by requesting no cheese. The sandwich is filled with piquant peppers, cucumbers, emerald greens, tomatoes, hummus, served on any bread from above. The sandwich is delicious and can be paired with a side salad to make an extremely delicious and filling lunch. It is possible to add avocado to the sandwich as a substitute for the feta, but the sandwich contains enough delicious ingredients without it.

Bowls

Baja Bowl

The Baja Bowl is one of the best purchases at Panera Bread. Typically served with a french baguette, the Baja Bowl is an extremely nutritious and filling menu item. The bowl contains cilantro line brown rice and quinoa topped with black bean and corn salsa, salsa verde, red grape tomatoes, and avocado. The bowl usually comes with feta and Greek Yogurt, but just ask to remove the dairy products to make the Baja Bowl completely vegan. Our suggestion is to buy this bowl if you need a quick dinner or a healthy lunch for less than 10 dollars. It hits all the marks of affordable, nutritious, and delicious.

Mediterranean Grain Bowl

The Baja Bowl’s counterpart is the equally desired Mediterranean Grain Bowl. The bowl holds a cilantro line brown rice and quinoa base covered by arugula, red grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, diced cucumber, hummus, and a lemon tahini dressing. Once again to make it completely plant-based, ask them to remove the feta crumbles and Greek Yogurt. Similar to the Baja Bowl, the Mediterranean Grain Bowl is a perfect, healthy dinner option. The bowl provides and filling and cheap option and can be saved for later easily if you have leftovers.

Salads

Asian Sesame Salad without Chicken

The Asian Sesame salad is a straightforward menu item with a familiar blend of Asian flavors. The salad contains cilantro, toasted almonds, sesame seeds, and wonton strips on top of mixed greens and tossed in Asian sesame vinaigrette. The salad may not be the most filling, especially when removing the chicken, but add avocado to the salad to bulk it up. The Asian sesame dressing ties the whole salad together and it definitely a great option for a quick, smaller lunch.

Fuji Apple Salad without Chicken

The Fuji Apple Salad is a perfect salad for a sweeter, lighter craving. The salad comes on a mixed base of arugula, romaine, kale, and a red leaf blend with grape tomatoes, red onions, toasted pecan pieces, and apple chips all tossed in a sweet white balsamic vinaigrette. Ask for the salad without gorgonzola and chicken to make it fully vegan. The salad is a delightful treat, bringing a healthy blend of greens to life with a sweet dressing and apple toppings.

Greek Salad

You can never go wrong with a Greek salad. Panera’s Greek Salad offers everything that you expect and want from the dish, consisting of romaine, grape tomatoes, red onions, kalamata olives, salt, pepper, and tossed in a Greek dressing. The salad also comes with pepperoncini on the side. Make sure to ask for the salad without feta to make it plant-based. Feel free to add avocado to the salad to bulk it up, but the salad stands as a delicious Panera staple.

Strawberry Poppyseed Salad without Chicken

For people who love some sweetness in their salads, the Strawberry Poppyseed Salad could not be more perfect. The salad is served with a romaine base topped by mandarin oranges, strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple all tossed in a poppyseed dressing. The salad also comes with toasted pecan pieces sprinkled on top. The salad is a delicious and outrageously nutritious option. Typically it comes with chicken but becomes fully plant-based when you remove the chicken.

Soup Bowls

Ten Vegetable Soup

Panera’s soup selection is extremely minimal, but when you get the soup craving, the Ten Vegetable Soup is an amazing option. The soup is a blend of tomatoes, red and yellow peppers, onions, corn, carrots, celery, spinach, poblano peppers, and garlic in seasoned veggie stock. On top of the ten vegetables, Panera adds in chickpeas, brown rice, red fife, and dried Aleppo chili to boost the flavor and the nutritional value. The Ten Vegetable Soup can also come in a bread bowl and if it is your first time eating at Panera we highly suggest it.

Drinks & Breakfast

Steel Cut Oatmeal

When you come in for a quick coffee or you’re picking up your bagels for the week, the Steel Cut Oatmeal is a quick, cheap breakfast option on the go. The oats come topped with strawberries, pecans, and cinnamon crunch topping. The sweet breakfast is an obvious staple and an easy choice when grabbing a coffee on the move.

Summer Fruit Cup

Even more straightforward than the Steel Cut Oatmeal but just as delicious as Panera Summer Fruit Cup. The fruit cup contains fresh pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, and canteloupe. The menu item makes for a delicious and snackable breakfast for less than $4.

Frozen Strawberry Lemonade

Panera’s pink lemonade drink is a top choice. With summer on the horizon, everyone should be acquainted with the strawberry lemonade. This is the perfect drink for a sweltering summer day with Panera’s signature Agave Lemonade Blend mixed with fresh strawberries and blended with ice.

Peach & Blueberry Smoothie with Almond Milk

This smoothie is Panera’s sole smoothie that features an almond milk base. The peach and mango puree is mixed with white grape and passionfruit juice concentrates alongside blueberries and almond milk. The fully dairy-free smoothie hopefully signifies that Panera plans to work more with plant-based milk to provide more vegan smoothies for its customers. For now, try the Peach & Blueberry Smoothie for a quick breakfast or a hot afternoon treat.

Green Passion Smoothie

The Green Passion smoothie is a treat that goes beyond expectations. The smoothie is completely dairy-free and contains peach and mango purees mixed with passionfruit juice and white grape concentrates. The green coloring and its nutritional bulk come from a hefty amount of spinach. With summer around the corner, this smoothie is an amazing refreshment that can be enjoyed for breakfast or a mid-day treat.