Copycat Panera Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich Recipe
Panera Bread's Mediterranean Veggie sandwich is a fresh, crispy, and creamy sandwich that's on the lighter side of popular Panera Bread menu items. Slices of tomato, cucumber, and red onion on a bed of spring mix are topped with Peppadew peppers and feta cheese. Panera's sandwich uses tomato basil bread, which is smeared with hummus before encasing the fillings. The ingredients work well together, with the feta and peppers providing salty, sweet, tangy, and mildly hot notes to complement the crunchy fresh vegetables.
Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a copycat recipe for this sandwich that might be even better than the original, and when you make the sandwich at home, you get to customize it just the way you want. Panera's bread is a type of sourdough with sun-dried tomatoes and basil, and with a sweet cinnamon streusel baked on top — but the added flavor from the topping is minor. Bottalico uses sourdough bread and adds sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil to the hummus so that those flavors really shine in the sandwich.
This is a simple recipe that comes together in ten minutes. There will be more hummus than needed, but you can refrigerate the extra and enjoy it for a week. Keep this delicious recipe in mind for a quick, fresh, and tasty meal idea whenever you need it.
Gather your copycat Panera Bread Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich ingredients
The first step of the recipe is to make the tomato basil hummus. You will need canned chickpeas, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (drained first), garlic, tahini, lemon juice, salt, water, and fresh basil leaves. Look for large slices of hearty sourdough bread, too. Have spring mix, tomato, cucumber, red onion, and feta cheese on hand for the fillings.
Peppadew peppers are the final filling ingredient. Peppadew is a brand name; the peppers themselves are pickled Juanita piquanté peppers, which are sweet, tangy, and have just a touch of heat. These peppers are not available in all supermarkets. If you can't find them on the shelf, try the salad bar. If they are not available, you can substitute whole sweet cherry peppers, which are sold pickled in a jar.
Step 1: Start making the hummus
Place the chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, salt, and 3 tablespoons of water in a food processor. Process, scraping down the sides as needed, until well combined and smooth, up to 2 minutes. Add 1-3 additional tablespoons of water if needed for a thick and creamy consistency.
Step 2: Add the basil
Add the basil and pulse until evenly distributed.
Step 3: Spread the hummus on bread
Spread a generous layer of hummus on 2 slices of bread.
Step 4: Add the spring mix
Place the spring mix on top of the hummus.
Step 5: Add the tomato
Arrange 4 slices of tomato on top of the spring mix on each slice of bread.
Step 6: Add the cucumber
Arrange 8 slices of cucumber on top of the tomatoes on each slice of bread.
Step 7: Add the remaining filling ingredients
Top the cucumber with the red onion, Peppadew peppers, and feta cheese.
Step 8: Finish making the sandwiches
Spread a generous layer of hummus on the remaining 2 slices of bread and place them on top of the sandwiches.
Step 9: Serve the copycat Panera Bread Mediterranean Veggie Sandwiches
Cut the sandwiches in half and serve.
What pairs well with this Mediterranean sandwich?
Copycat Panera Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich Recipe
Feta and peppers provide salty, sweet, and mildly hot notes to fresh tomato-basil hummus and crunchy fresh vegetables in our copycat Panera veggie sandwich.
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
- 1 large clove garlic
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons water + more if needed
- ¼ cup basil leaves
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- 1 cup spring mix
- 8 slices large ripe tomatoes
- 16 slices cucumber, skin on
- ⅓ cup sliced red onion
- 3 Peppadew peppers, sliced
- 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Directions
- Place the chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, salt, and 3 tablespoons of water in a food processor. Process, scraping down the sides as needed, until well combined and smooth, up to 2 minutes. Add 1-3 additional tablespoons of water if needed for a thick and creamy consistency.
- Add the basil and pulse until evenly distributed.
- Spread a generous layer of hummus on 2 slices of bread.
- Place the spring mix on top of the hummus.
- Arrange 4 slices of tomato on top of the spring mix on each slice of bread.
- Arrange 8 slices of cucumber on top of the tomatoes on each slice of bread.
- Top the cucumber with the red onion, Peppadew peppers, and feta cheese.
- Spread a generous layer of hummus on the remaining 2 slices of bread and place them on top of the sandwiches.
- Cut the sandwiches in half and serve.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 281 |
| Total Fat | 7.1 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1.6 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 5.0 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 45.0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5.8 g |
| Total Sugars | 6.4 g |
| Sodium | 526.9 mg |
| Protein | 11.6 g |
How can I customize this Mediterranean veggie sandwich?
There are so many delicious ways this sandwich could be customized. Instead of hummus, you could spread the bread with mayonnaise, green or red pesto, or Green goddess dressing. Try pickled red onion or pickled radishes instead of the fresh red onion, or use sliced shallots for a slightly sweeter flavor. Spinach or your favorite type of lettuce could be used instead of spring mix.
While the sandwich contains hummus and feta, you could add slices of tofu or tempeh to make it heartier and more filling. Marinating tofu is a secret for even more flavor, so consider that step if you're planning to cook it first. This is a Mediterranean-inspired sandwich, so other ingredients popular in Mediterranean cuisine could easily have a spot on this sandwich. Think olives, roasted red peppers, capers, and artichoke hearts. Ricotta, mozzarella, and goat cheese would all work well instead of feta.
As far as the bread, you're not limited to sourdough. Any slices of crusty artisan-style bread would be delicious here. Use one flavored with herbs or cheese for additional flavor, or check out some of these ideas for the best bread for tomato sandwiches. Use gluten-free bread or a gluten-free wrap if needed.
What other varieties of hummus could I make for this sandwich?
If you want to buy regular hummus for convenience, stack the sun-dried tomatoes and basil right on the sandwich. To amp up the flavor of the hummus, consider roasting a head of garlic or caramelizing onions and blending one or the other into your hummus. For those sensitive to these alliums, add bright zesty flavor with lemon instead. Besides lemon juice, you can add the zest of a whole lemon to a batch of hummus. For an extra creamy version, add ripe avocado, or make it spicy with jalapeño pepper or chili powder.
Mixing vegetables into hummus adds not just extra flavor and color but extra nutrients as well. Leafy greens are veritable superfoods, so don't hesitate to throw a handful into your hummus. That could be spinach, arugula, microgreens, watercress, dandelion greens, or herbs like parsley, cilantro, and dill. Other vegetables besides leafy greens can enhance hummus as well. Roasted red peppers, beets, roasted eggplant, and boiled carrots are all good choices. Consider spicing such a hummus with garlic, ground coriander, paprika, and fresh ginger to really make it pop.
Hummus doesn't need to be made with chickpeas. Lentils are widely used in Mediterranean cuisine, and a lentil hummus would be delicious here. Get creative. Cannellini beans and creamy butter beans blend nicely into a smooth and creamy hummus as well. Or you can boil peas and mix some fresh mint into the puree for a fresh flavor and pleasing aroma.