This Tossed Greek Salad, made with olives, feta, tomatoes, lettuce, and a simple homemade Greek Vinaigrette, is a copycat version of Panera's Greek Salad that is easy to make and absolutely delicious.
![Panera Greek Salad Bowl of Greek Salad next to cutting board with veggies.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Copycat-Greek-Salad.jpg)
You all know I love Panera. But my wallet and my waistline can't handle dining at Panera on a regular basis. That doesn't mean I can't, or don't, enjoy my Panera favorites on repeat!
Using my copycat recipes for Panera's Greek Salad, Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup, Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup, BBQ Chicken Salad, and Copycat Panera Roasted Turkey Sandwich, we can all the flavors of Panera while keeping money in our pocket.
Greek Salad with Lettuce
Classic Greek salads are made with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, olives, feta, and onions dressed in olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano. That's right--not even lettuce is traditional in Greek salads.
But Panera's Greek Salad, and most Americanized Greek Salads sold at pizzerias and delis, are made with the addition of lettuce. And it is my personal favorite way to enjoy a Greek Salad.
How to Make Copycat Panera Greek Salad
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare Greek Dressing. This simple Greek Vinaigrette is made with red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, and oregano. It is so easy to make and adds the perfect flavor to this tossed Greek Salad.
- Assemble Salad. Toss the lettuce with diced cucumbers, sliced shallots, olives, tomatoes, pepperoncini, and ¼ cup of the prepared dressing. This will keep this salad from being overly dressed and soggy.
- Serve. Right before serving, top the salad with croutons, feta, and serve the remaining dressing on the side.
![Greek Salad with Lettuce Greek Salad in a White Bowl with greek dressing to side.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Greek-Salad-Recipe.jpg)
Recipe Modifications
- Dairy-Free/Vegan-Friendly: Omit the feta and ensure your croutons do not have added dairy.
- Gluten-Free/Low-Carb: Omit the croutons.
- No Shallots? I prefer using a shallot in my Greek salad, as they are more mild onions. Feel free to use red onions in place of shallots. To so, I recommend to soak red onion slices in cold water for 15 minutes to remove some of their sharpness prior to adding them to the salad.
- Control the Heat: The pepperoncini peppers add delicious flavor, but those with sensitive palates toward spice, may not enjoy them in their salad.
- Serving a Crowd? If serving this Greek Salad to anyone with food restrictions or sensitivities, I recommend leaving the croutons, feta, and pepperoncini peppers on the side for people to add as desired.
Storage/Prep-Ahead Instructions
Just like most salads, this Greek salad is best served immediately once assembled. However, you can opt to get a jump start on preparation by preparing the greens and Greek dressing in advance.
- Up To 24 Hours in Advance: Wash and cut the vegetables as directed. Toss together and store the prepared greens and vegetables in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Leftover Greek Salad Dressing: The Greek Salad dressing will last for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. It is delicious not only on salads but also as a marinade for meat or vegetables.
Dishes to Pair with Tossed Greek Salad
This tossed Greek Salad pairs well with endless dishes, like Chicken Piccata, Homemade Lasagna, Tomato Pizza, or Baked Rotini. I also love topping this salad with grilled Greek Chicken or Chicken Shawarma for a hearty entree!
More Favorite Salad Recipes
- Copycat Olive Garden Salad
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Kale Apple Salad
- Caesar Salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Mandarin Orange Salad
If you enjoyed this copycat version of Panera's Greek Salad, I would love for you to leave a comment and rating below.
![Greek Salad next to cutting board with fresh veggies.](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Panera-Greek-Salad-1-360x360.jpg)
Copycat Panera Greek Salad
Ingredients
Greek Salad
- ¼ cup kalamata olives pitted and sliced in half
- ½ cup cherry or grape tomatoes sliced
- 1 shallots thinly sliced
- 1 English cucumber diced
- 5 ounces spring lettuce mix or 1 head or iceburg or romaine lettuce, chopped
- ¼ cup croutons optional
- â…“ cup Feta cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup pepperoncini peppers optional
Greek Dressing
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- â…“ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 clove garlic grated
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
For Greek Dressing
- Whisk together the vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon, oregano, salt, and pepper. Using a Microplane, finely grate the clove of garlic over the vinegar mixture, then whisk to combine. Slowly whisk in olive oil until combined. Whisk or shake before serving.
For Greek Salad
- In a large serving bowl, combine the lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, shallot, olives, and pepperoncini together. Add ¼ cup of dressing to the salad and toss to combine.
- Dish out the salad into individual servings and top with croutons and crumbled feta cheese. Serve additional Greek Dressing on the side to add as desired.
Kellie
So simple and budget friendly! I love that I can make this at home and satisfy my Panera craving!
Kristen Chidsey
And I love hearing you enjoy this recipe 🙂 Thanks for sharing, Kellie!
Isabel
Absolutely loved this Tossed Greek Salad! Reminiscent of Panera's version, it's bursting with flavor from olives, feta, tomatoes, and a tangy homemade Greek vinaigrette. Easy to make and incredibly delicious!
Sha
This is absolutely one of the best copycat recipes I've tried! This salad is packed with flavors and goes well with my favorite pork chop!
Fred DeFelice
Great recipe
Mary Beth
I decided at the last minute that I wanted something else, preferably easy, for our son’s graduation party to go with chicken and Italian beef. I had a lot of other food and thought I was making way too much of this salad, but all that was left were some tomatoes. I will definitely make this again, and will also use the dressing as a marinade for chicken.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so happy to hear your guests enjoyed it! And congratulations to you son!
Liz
Oh, my gosh, this was a huge hit! The dressing was delicious and I was happy to eat the leftovers for lunch. This will now be my go-to Greek salad recipe!
Kristen Chidsey
YAY!!! SO happy to hear you enjoyed Liz! I hope it makes a regular appearance on your meal plans!
Diana
What a great salad! One of my favorite go-to lunches.
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing you enjoy this homemade version Diana!
Kelly
This is such a great salad! Greek is always one of my favorites!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed Kelly!
Justine
Love this salad! So easy and full of flavor!