The standard Mediterranean bowl ($10.89) is made with a base of cilantro rice topped with quinoa, arugula, grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives, cucumbers, hummus, lemon tahini dressing, feta, and Greek yogurt. Drop the Greek yogurt and the feta, and it’s fully plant-based. We give this bowl props over the Mediterranean bowl because of the addition of hummus for fat and protein. The tahini dressing was also delicious – though not too acidic, it added enough tang to the vegetables to provide some welcome brightness to the bowl.
Not all of us are big fans of olives, so it was a little difficult to pick around the briny spheres in the salad. Other than that, we loved the flavor of the dressing mixed with the freshness of the cucumbers and the juiciness of cherry tomatoes. We also appreciated the base of the quinoa and the rice, the freshness of the vegetables, and the garlicky flavor of the hummus. This is the only main vegan entrée we sampled from Panera Bread that checked off both the filling and flavorful boxes.