Take 10 minutes to make this copycat Panera Bread Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich! Filled with hummus, fresh veggies, and dairy free feta cheese, it tastes better than the original! Vegan + Gluten free friendly!
Free from: Dairy, casein, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, mollusks, celery, corn, mustard, lupin, and more
Optional Free from: Wheat/ Gluten, tomatoes, sulfites, sesame
This Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich is honestly my favorite sandwich of all time. Could this be the perfect vegetarian sandwich? My family would say yes! This copycat version of Panera is a super healthy lunch that is quick to make and is one delicious sandwich.
Packed with creamy hummus, fresh green lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, carrots, vegan feta, it’s the perfect mix of macros in an easy to make sandwich!
Not to mention it is quicker to make and less expensive than takeout.
In the mood for more Panera recipes? Check out my Panera Tomato Soup (vegan, dairy free), Green Goddess Salad Dressing (vegan, gluten free), and this amazing Fuji Apple Salad (vegan, gluten free)!
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Why You’ll Love this Sandwich
- Hearty bread and loaded with healthy veggies
- Super easy recipe!
- Simple ingredients found in any grocery store
- Less expensive than takeout
- Dairy free, Egg free, Nut free, Gluten free recipe!
Ingredients
Here is a quick rundown of what ingredients you’ll need for this Panera Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich. See the recipe card for exact measurements and see the allergy substitutions for how to adapt this recipe for your unique needs.
- Bread: Panera uses their Tomato Basil bread for this recipe, but I like to go a bit more simple and just use some fluffy bakery bread like a rustic sourdough (which is what I used in these photos). Dave’s Killer Bread or other whole grain bread is also amazing.
- Greens: Any kind of salad greens you have on hand will work. For sandwiches, green leaf lettuce is traditional, but I’ve made this with spinach, spring mix, arugula, and romaine.
- Hummus: To keep this quick and easy, store bought hummus is my go-to. Use your favorite flavor of hummus on this. I typically reach for plain hummus or roasted red pepper hummus. For something that is closer to what Panera's mediterranean veggie sandwich uses, try a spicy jalapeno hummus!
- Veggies: The sandwich contains red onion, tomato slices, and mini cucumbers. They also include sliced peppadew peppers which are (in my opinion) the best part about this sandwich! I also like to add carrots and red bell peppers for some extra color and crunch, but you can leave them off if you want.
- Feta Cheese: The tangy feta cheese compliments this sandwich so amazingly well. Use a dairy free feta (I love the kind from Trader Joe’s) or leave it out if you can’t find any.
- Balsamic Vinaigrette: This is a total optional ingredient as the original sandwich doesn’t contain any. However! I think that adding a splash of balsamic totally elevates this sandwich to epic levels. Just trust me on this one, my friend!
Allergy Substitutions
If you are gluten free, make this with your favorite brand of gluten free bread. I really enjoy Canyon Bakehouse or Franz 7 Grain Bread.
Avoiding hummus and sesame? No worries! Try this with baba ganoush, (vegan) tzatziki, or spinach and feta dip.
Need to avoid sulfites? Simply omit the balsamic dressing on top as balsamic vinegar contains naturally occurring sulfites.
Variations
Try different veggies. Swap out any of the fresh vegetables for others. Some of my favorites include fresh fennel, sprouts, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, or zucchini!
Use different greens. Again, any kind of green works to provide some fresh crunch but try something out of the box like fresh dandelion greens (super healthy!) or for even more crunch, fresh iceberg lettuce.
Make it full of peppers for a super flavorful sandwich! Use things like roasted red peppers, fresh sweet peppers, spicy peppers, or hot peppadews.
Try this as a mediterranean wrap!
Instructions
For the full instructions, complete with recipe measurements, please see the recipe card below.
Making this is super quick and easy.
First, prep the ingredients. Wash the lettuce, chop all the veggies into bite sized pieces, and get the bread sliced.
Next, spread a generous amount of hummus on a bread slice. Add greens to one side and top with the peppadew peppers, onion, tomatoes, cucumber, feta, and carrots. Drizzle the balsamic on top.
Finish it with another slice of bread covered in hummus and cut it in half. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
I love to serve mine with things like a delicious cup of soup like tomato basil, a fuji apple salad, or some baked sweet potato fries.
And you can't forget a cookie for a lunch dessert!
As it is written on the menu, no, it is not vegan. The feta cheese crumbles contains dairy and the bread contains honey. That’s why this sandwich is better to make at home - no risk of cross contamination for food allergies!
My favorites are things like a rustic sourdough bread, whole wheat bread from a brand like Dave's Killer Bread (the Powerseed flavor is my favorite!), or a sprouted bread like Ezekiel Bread. Panera's version includes slices of a tomato basil bread. To mimic this flavor, you can try out a tomato basil wrap.
How to Store
It will pack nicely in a lunch box and keep for lunch!
That said, these sandwiches don't do well made days ahead of time as the water content in the veggies can make the sandwich bread soggy.
I don’t recommend meal prepping or freezing this sandwich.
If you want to make this sandwich ahead of time, store the sliced veggies, washed greens, and hummus in separate containers. Then, when you are ready to eat, you can quickly assemble the sandwich.
More Sandwiches to Make
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Recipe
Equipment
- cutting board
- Chef’s knife
Ingredients
- 2 slices whole wheat bread or other bread of your choice
- ½ cup salad greens
- 2 tablespoons hummus
- 2 tablespoons vegan feta cheese optional
- 1 tablespoon peppadew peppers sliced
- 1 tomato sliced
- 1 Persian cucumber sliced
- ¼ red onion sliced
- ¼ cup carrots thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables. Wash and slice all the veggies. You can either make them into thin strips or chop into bite sized, diced pieces.
- Make the sandwich. Spread a layer of hummus on each slice of bread. Add a layer of green to one slice. Top with the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle feta cheese and balsamic vinaigrette over top. Finish with the second slice of bread. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- How to Store
- It will pack nicely in a lunch box and keep for lunch!
- That said, these sandwiches don't do well made days ahead of time as the water content in the veggies can make the sandwich bread soggy.
- I don’t recommend meal prepping or freezing this sandwich.
- If you want to make this sandwich ahead of time, store the sliced veggies, washed greens, and hummus in separate containers. Then, when you are ready to eat, you can quickly assemble the sandwich.
- Variations
- Try different veggies. Swap out any of the fresh vegetables for others. Some of my favorites include fresh fennel, sprouts, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, or zucchini!
- Use different greens. Again, any kind of green works to provide some fresh crunch but try something out of the box like fresh dandelion greens (super healthy!) or for even more crunch, fresh iceberg lettuce.
- Make it full of peppers for a super flavroful sandwich! Use things like roasted red peppers, fresh sweet peppers, spicy peppers, or hot peppadews.
- Allergy Substitutions
- If you are gluten free, make this with your favorite brand of gluten free bread. I really enjoy Canyon Bakehouse or Franz 7 Grain Bread.
- Avoiding hummus and sesame? No worries! Try this with baba ganoush, (vegan) tzatziki, or spinach and feta dip.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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