If you’ve ever had the Fuji Apple Salad from Panera Bread and loved it, you have to try this healthy Panera Inspired Fuji Apple Salad. It’s made at home using simple, real food ingredients that will help you to fuel your day and feel great. It’s made with lower sugar and fits seamlessly into a gluten free diet and can be adjusted to be paleo and vegetarian as well.
This recipe was created in partnership with Heinen’s
Panera Inspired Fuji Apple Salad
As the name of this recipe states, this salad is inspired by one of my old favorite salads from Panera. The tastes are very similar, however this salad is made at home using all real ingredients and no additives that can be harmful to the body or slow you down during your day. Plus, making it at home allows you to make enough to enjoy throughout the week or serve to a group!
Make it Your Own
If you’re short on time, cut out the apple chips baking time and grab a bag of apple chips that are readily available for you. I choose the Bare brand apple chips as they are made simply from apples alone and taste great! Otherwise, this recipe is relatively quick as the homemade dressing, toasted nuts and grilled chicken won’t take you more than 20 minutes, tops!
As always, I want others with various dietary needs to be able to enjoy my recipes. That being said, make any modifications that you need! For any vegetarians, simply skip the chicken. Those that don’t eat dairy or follow a paleo diet, leave out the cheese.
DIETARY NOTES
This salad is made with real ingredients and fits seamlessly into the following dietary needs when using the products/brands (or ones that are similar) listed in the recipe:
- gluten free
- soy free
- refined sugar free
- dairy free (omit cheese)
- paleo (omit cheese)
- grain free
- vegetarian (omit chicken)
Hungry for more?
If you’re looking for more nutritious and delicious salad recipes, try these next:
- Green Goddess Pasta Salad (vegetarian, vegan complaint, refined sugar free, dairy free, gluten free, grain free compliant, soy free)
- Green Goddess Cobb Salad (whole30, paleo, vegetarian compliant, vegan compliant, refined sugar free, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, nut free, soy free)
- Mixed Berry Lemon Poppyseed Salad (whole30 version, paleo, vegetarian compliant, vegan compliant, refined sugar free, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, soy free)
- Crunchy Kale and Chickpea Salad (vegetarian, vegan, refined sugar free, dairy free, gluten free, nut free, soy free)
- Crispy Buffalo Chicken Salad (whole30, paleo, refined sugar free, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, soy free)
FOLLOW ALONG
Be sure to follow me on Instagram to see all of the behind the scenes of recipe creation as well as how to videos to watch them come to life! You can also head over to my Pinterest to save all of my recipes in one spot that you plan whip up in the future.
PS – If you make this recipe or any of my other recipes, I would be so grateful if you left a review so I can hear what you think! I also am happy to answer any questions you may have on here, but if you want a quicker response, be sure to shoot me a message on Instagram. Thank you so much and talk soon!
Panera Inspired Fuji Apple Salad
Equipment
- Mandoline
Ingredients
Baked Apple Chips
- 2 fuji apples, sliced thin (can use apple of choice or sub for Bare brand baked apple chips)
Apple Vinaigrette
- ½ cup 100% apple juice
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp raw honey
- squeeze fresh lemon
- pinch salt
Toasted Nuts
- 2 cups nuts of choice (I use 1 cup pecans + 1 cup walnuts)
- 2 tbsp apple vinaigrette (recipe above)
Chicken
- 1 ½-2 lbs chicken breast
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
Salad Fixings
- spring mix
- red onion, sliced thin
- vine tomatoes, halved
- grilled chicken (optional, leave out if vegetarian)
- apple chips
- toasted nuts
- crumbled gorgonzola cheese or goat cheese (optional, leave out if paleo/dairy free)
- apple vinaigrette
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 225°.
- Combine all the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar, then cover with a lid and shake vigorously to combine. If at any point the ingredients separate, simply reshake the jar.
- Slice apples using a mandoline and spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake the apples for one hour on each side, 2 hours total.
- Mix together nuts and 2 tbsp of the apple vinaigrette.
- Space out the nuts on a parchment lined baking sheet and add to the oven with the apples for 15-20 minutes, checking often to ensure they don’t burn.
- Combine chicken ingredients in a shallow bowl, then coat each chicken breast with it until covered evenly.
- Cook chicken using your preferred method and slice thin once cooked through.
- When the nuts, apple chips and chicken are all cooked and ready, assemble your salad using all of your prepped ingredients and preferred toppings.
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