Recently, I have become obsessed with a little something called the Power Chicken Hummus Bowl at Panera Bread. This is a simple salad that is extremely delicious and packed with a ton of flavor and healthy ingredients (as most salads are, Katey, way to point out the obvious). After purchasing this little diddy twice at $7.99 a pop, I said to myself "I think I can make this at home. In fact, I KNOW I can make this at home!". In all reality, a salad is really just throwing a bunch of vegetables into a bowl, right? But for some reason the salads I pay for pre-assembled always seem to taste better. Why is that? Because of the freshness, or my pure laziness? Usually, my idea of a salad at home is buying a bag of mixed lettuce and putting some salad dressing on it - maybe cheese, too, if I feel like putting in some extra effort. Regardless of the reason, I was determined to recreate this new salad that had entered my life, and hit the produce section guns blazin' at the grocery store this past weekend.
Here's what you'll need:
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 5-6 pieces of cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1/2 of a plum tomato, chopped
- red onion, a few thinly sliced pieces - determine how bad you want your breath to smell, and then go with that quantity...I tend to go for very smelly ;)
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 skinless chicken breast - marinated, cooked & thinly sliced.
- 2 tbsp hummus (any flavor you choose - I'm using "Everything" by Tribe)
1. Start by lining the bottom of your bowl with the baby spinach. The spinach will support all of your other ingredients.
2. Next, think of your bowl as having various quadrants - one for each ingredient - and pile your tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, hummus, and chicken separately, each in their own little area of the bowl. Tip: For the chicken, I mixed a tablespoon of olive oil with a few sprinkles of my favorite seasoning, and let 2 chicken breasts marinate for a half hour before baking at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. The leftover chicken will be perfect for a salad the next day!
3. Sprinkle the chopped cilantro over the entire salad, and finish by squeezing the fresh lemon juice on top. The lemon juice serves as your dressing, along with the hummus. I like to squeeze a little bit of lemon juice to start, and then squeeze more on as I eat through the layers of my salad.
The cilantro and lemon combination adds to the freshness of this salad and keeps it feeling light. The hummus and chicken provide substance to the dish, and really leaves me feeling full and satisfied. As you eat your way through the different areas of the salad, your mouth will be hit with one fresh and exciting flavor after another. I love the idea that this salad takes you on an adventure. You get to pick and choose each and every bite you take. Spinach, tomato, onion? Spinach, hummus, cucumber? A mouthful of everything? The choice is yours! I don't know why I always write up my food posts when I'm hungry... I seriously want to eat this salad right now! Get in my belly!
Another perk to this salad? It's the lowest calorie salad offered by Panera Bread (other than the plain boring "Classic Salad"). That's pretty good considering you're getting some protein in this dish! I am not a dietitian, and I am playing a pure guessing game on my ingredient measurements here, but I'm at least confident that this is a healthy, low calorie option. I like to pair it with a cup of soup if I get it at the restaurant, but it's perfect on its' own, too!
Another perk to this salad? It's the lowest calorie salad offered by Panera Bread (other than the plain boring "Classic Salad"). That's pretty good considering you're getting some protein in this dish! I am not a dietitian, and I am playing a pure guessing game on my ingredient measurements here, but I'm at least confident that this is a healthy, low calorie option. I like to pair it with a cup of soup if I get it at the restaurant, but it's perfect on its' own, too!
Do you think you'd try this recreation? Have you ever tried a copycat version of one of your favorite restaurant dishes? How did it turn out?
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you stop by often!
Katey
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you stop by often!
Katey