How to Eat Vegan at Panera

From warm bowls and sandwiches to salads, soup, and breakfast items, eating vegan at Panera has never tasted so good! Pop in for brekkie, lunch, dinner, or a midday treat—there’s a little something for everyone at this fast-casual chain restaurant. For plant-based ordering inspo, check out our guide for tips on how to eat vegan at Panera.

Warm Bowls

Warm up with these plant-based grain bowls. Both the Baja and Mediterranean are easily veganized.

Baja Bowl

We are obsessed with this filling bowl. Order the Baja Bowl without chicken and remove the feta and Greek yogurt. This bowl includes a rice quinoa blend, black bean and corn salsa, salsa verde, tomatoes, and fresh avocado.

Mediterranean Bowl

Check out this tasty bowl! When ordered without chicken, feta, or yogurt, eating vegan at Panera has never looked better. This bowl is loaded with the rice quinoa blend, arugula, tomatoes, Kalamata olives, cucumbers, hummus, and lemon tahini dressing.

Sandwiches

Take a bite out of this loaded handheld. The Mediterranean Veggie is a longtime VegOut fave!

Mediterranean Veggie

There’s one vegan-friendly sandwich at Panera, and we’re grateful it’s a good one. Order the Mediterranean Veggie without feta and substitute a vegan-friendly bread from our list below. The veganized sando is left with zesty sweet Peppadew peppers, red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, greens, and hummus.

Bread: Swapping out the bread on that Mediterranean Veggie handheld? Vegan bread options include classic sourdough, country rustic sourdough, black pepper focaccia, and artisan ciabatta.

Salads

When dining vegan at Panera, there are several salads to choose from. Additionally, the fast-casual eatery offers several cruelty-free dressings for ultimate customization.

BBQ

For a romaine salad loaded with bean and corn salsa and frizzled onions, order the BBQ salad sans chicken. Omit the BBQ ranch and roll with the apple cider vinegar BBQ sauce or sub in a vegan dressing. Add avocado for extra credit.

Citrus Asian Crunch

This salad packs romaine, a blend of greens, pickled red onions, cilantro, edamame, and crispy carrots. Both the teriyaki sauce and Tangerine Soy Ginger Dressing are plant-based, but you’ll need to omit the chicken.

Fuji Apple

Remove the chicken and gorgonzola and you’ve got yourself a tasty vegan Panera experience. Find apple chips, pecans, red onions, and tomatoes on a bed of dressed greens.

Greek

When ordered without feta, the Greek salad is totally plant-based. Containing romaine, olives, onion, tomatoes, pepperoncini, and Greek dressing, this loaded salad is our go-to.

Asian Sesame

Forgo the chicken and wonton strips when dining vegan at Panera. This salad contains almonds, sesame seeds, cilantro, romaine, and Asian Sesame Vinaigrette.

Salad Dressings: For the veganized salads that require a dressing swap, the following options are plant-based: Greek, Asian Sesame, White Balsamic Apple, Lemon Tahini Dressing, and Tangerine Soy Ginger Dressing.

Soup

Although the restaurant rotates soup offerings, keep your eyes peeled for the Ten Vegetable Soup when eating vegan at Panera. Add it to a veganized salad with your You Pick Two, or order it in a vegan-friendly bread bowl for ultimate comfort food status.

Sides

We love customizing our side orders when eating vegan at Panera. Pair your soup, salad, or sandwich with vegan-friendly bread, fruit, or chips. Plant-based sides include the French baguette, kettle chips, apple, fruit cup, pickle, and tomato basil cucumber salad.

Breakfast

Good morning, sunshine! Start your day with a vegan Panera breakfast. From oats and bagels to smoothies and coffee, these menu offerings will start your day on the right foot.

Oatmeal

Although there are no vegan-friendly breakfast sandwiches on the menu, plant-based eaters can enjoy the Steel Cut Oatmeal. This hearty breakfast bowl contains fresh strawberries, pecans, and cinnamon sugar. Add a side of almond milk for extra creaminess.

Panera

Bagels

Vegan bagels include everything, plain, blueberry, and sesame varieties. While Panera doesn’t offer a dairy-free cream cheese spread, you don’t have to eat your bagel plain! You may be able to snag some avocado or hummus to round out your brekkie handheld. Alternatively, bring your baked goods home and add your own vegan cream cheese.

Smoothies

Who doesn’t love a frozen breakfast sipper? Panera offers two vegan-friendly smoothie varieties. Both the Peach and Blueberry Smoothie with Almond Milk and the Green Passion Smoothie come plant-based and totally delish.

Panera

Fresh Fruit

Add a fresh fruit cup to any breakfast meal for an extra morning boost.

Beverages

In addition to vegan-friendly flavored lemonades and iced teas, Panera offers a variety of customizable hot and iced coffee drinks. For vegan Panera barista faves, choose almond milk in your lattes, cold brew drinks, and beyond. Currently, we are obsessed with the Madagascar Vanilla Almond Cold Brew. This creamy, caffeinated sipper is vegan as-is, and we are here for it!

Seasonal Items

While the fast-casual eatery rotates its menu based on the season, we’re always able to find something vegan at Panera. For example, the Strawberry Poppyseed Salad is a plant-based summertime fave. We veganize it by removing the chicken and pairing it with a baguette. So, as the seasons change, keep your eyes on the Panera website.