Fall Orchard Harvest Salad (Panera Copycat Recipe)

Our Fall Harvest Salad combines crisp pears, dried cherries, gorgonzola cheese, and tender chicken, all drizzled with a delicious cherry balsamic vinaigrette. We based the recipe off Panera Bread’s discontinued Orchard Harvest Salad.

Along with being delicious, this salad is gluten-free, dairy-free, and legal on the Specific Carb Diet.

What You’ll Need

For the Dressing

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar*
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoon honey
• 2-3 fresh tart cherries, smashed well
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Salad

• 6 ounces romaine lettuce chopped
• 1/2 pears, diced
• 1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese
• 1/4 cup pecans roasted and salted
• 1/4 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cooked chicken breast, diced
• 3 tablespoons cherry balsamic vinaigrette

*A note about the Balsamic Vinegar

If you’re following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, you’ll need to find a balsamic vinegar without any added sugars. We found ours at Trader Joe’s.

How to Make Your Panera Copycat Orchard Harvest Salad

Start by preparing the dressing. In a small saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, honey, and olive oil. Heat over medium, whisking until the honey dissolves. Let the mixture simmer for about 8 minutes or until the vinegar reduces by half.

Next, stir in the smashed cherries and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and transfer the mixture to a medium bowl to cool. While the dressing cools, assemble the salad by placing all the salad ingredients (except for the dressing) into a large bowl.

Once the dressing has cooled, whisk in red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper until well combined. If you prefer a smoother texture, you can strain out the cherry pieces, but this step is optional. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Taste, and add more dressing if desired. Serve immediately.

If you like our Fall Harvest Salad, you may also like:

• Healthy Pumpkin Spice Mug Cake
• 50 Pumpkin Recipes to Make This Fall
• Creamy Pumpkin Ricotta Pasta
• Your Fall Bucket List

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Yield: 3 Servings

Panera's Orchard Harvest Salad - Copycat Recipe

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Our Fall Harvest Salad is our take on Panera's but discontinued Orchard Harvest Salad.

This seasonal salad features crisp pears, dried cherries, gorgonzola cheese, and tender chicken, all drizzled with a delicious cherry balsamic vinaigrette. It's a perfect blend of sweet and savory for a cozy Fall day!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

FOR The cherry balsamic vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar*
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoon honey
• 2-3 fresh tart cherries, smashed well
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE SALAD

• 6 ounces romaine lettuce chopped
• 1/2 pears, diced
• 1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese
• 1/4 cup pecans roasted and salted
• 1/4 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cooked chicken breast, diced
• 3 tablespoons homemade cherry balsamic vinaigrette

Instructions

1. Start by preparing the dressing. In a small saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, honey, and olive oil. Heat over medium, whisking until the honey dissolves. Let the mixture simmer for about 8 minutes or until the vinegar reduces by half.
   
2. Next, stir in the smashed cherries and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and transfer the mixture to a medium bowl to cool. While the dressing cools, assemble the salad by placing all the salad ingredients (except for the dressing) into a large bowl.
   
3. Once the dressing has cooled, whisk in red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper until well combined. If you prefer a smoother texture, you can strain out the cherry pieces, but this step is optional. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Taste, and add more dressing if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you're following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, you'll need to find a balsamic vinegar without any added sugars. We found ours at Trader Joe's.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

3

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 508Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 358mgCarbohydrates: 48gNet Carbohydrates: 42gFiber: 6gSugar: 35gProtein: 12g

Nutritional Information may vary and may not be accurate.

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