I Tried Every New Panera Salad & the Best Was Bold and Tasty

Panera recently announced what it's calling a "new era" with the chain's biggest menu transformation ever. The new menu includes more than 20 updates, all made after carefully considering customer feedback. One of the most exciting changes is the addition of four brand-new Panera salads, all of which made their debut on April 4.

"We are getting back to Panera at its best with these menu updates that are centered completely on our guests and what they love about us," said Alicia Mowder, Panera's senior vice president of product strategy and insights, in a press release. "We've listened to thousands of guests on our path to unveiling more than 20 new or enhanced menu items and are thrilled to bring these products to Panera bakery-cafes nationwide."

Panera called the new salads "flavor-packed" and "hearty." So, of course, I had to try them out. Each of the salads was distinct and had its own merits. Some were new takes on old favorites and some had some interesting flavor combinations. I judged each salad on looks and taste and tried it exactly as it was described.

Here's how these newest salads stacked up, ranked from worst to best. Which ones should you spend your lunch money on, and which ones will wilt on the vine? Read on to find out!

Ranch Cobb Salad

This salad features romaine and crisp mixed greens tossed in ranch dressing, topped with grape tomatoes, pickled red onions, applewood-smoked bacon, feta, and a hard-boiled egg. This salad was priced at $9.99.

The look: Anytime I see halved hard-boiled eggs in a salad I'm happy because I know that I'll be getting protein in a delicious way. This colorful salad had bacon bits on top and the pickled red onions added visual interest.

The taste: This was an OK-tasting salad. It was pretty basic and not exciting or really delicious. I was confused by some of the choices here including feta (traditionally a Cobb salad gets bleu cheese) and the ranch dressing, which didn't add anything (a vinaigrette with lemon and Dijon would have been so much better). The bacon was a nice addition, but not enough to make me crave this salad. I would eat it but it's pretty forgettable.

Rating: 4/10

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Southwest Chicken Ranch Salad

This new salad features romaine tossed in ranch dressing, with grilled chicken and drizzled with chipotle aioli, topped with fresh avocado, grape tomatoes, roasted corn, fresh cilantro and blue corn tortilla strips. It cost $13.49.

The look: This vibrant salad looked enticing with pops of color from the red grape tomatoes and the bright yellow corn. The avocado appeared unripe, which was concerning.

The taste: The chipotle aioli gave this salad a nice, spicy kick. While the rest of the ingredients were pretty basic, the combination of corn and ranch did give it a delectable flavor. The blue corn tortilla strips added crunch in an unobtrusive way. While this salad was tasty, it wasn't anything special. Maybe some cheese could have put it over the top, but as is, it was just OK.

Rating: 5/10

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Balsamic Chicken Greens with Grains

This salad features romaine and crisp mixed greens tossed in balsamic vinaigrette, topped with whole grain blend, grilled chicken, sliced cucumbers, sliced pepperoncini peppers, fresh avocado, feta, pumpkin seeds and drizzled with Green Goddess dressing. It was priced at $13.49.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The look: The overall look of this salad was very… green. All the elements were green and I missed seeing any pops of color. The pumpkin seeds were black little dots and that did not look appetizing.

The taste: The first time I ordered this salad there were no pepperoncini peppers and no Green Goddess dressing on it. Panera fixed the mistake and my second salad with the omitted ingredients was pretty delicious (though the staff told me the kitchen was out of cucumbers). Not being a big fan of balsamic, the Green Goddess dressing was what made this salad so delicious. Word to the wise: the restaurant only gives you a drizzle so ask for more on the side. I devoured that second salad and would definitely get it again.

Rating: 7/10

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Mediterranean Chicken Greens with Grains

This salad has romaine and crisp mixed greens tossed in Greek dressing, topped with whole grain blend, grilled chicken, hummus, feta, red onions, peppadew peppers, sliced cucumbers and a sprinkle of shawarma seasoning. It was priced at $13.49.

The look: Visually this salad wasn't the most enticing, probably because it didn't have a lot of color in it. I was scared by the giant, onion-ring sized red onions but very enticed by the two lumps of hummus on the sides of the salad, and the shawarma seasoning looked promising.

The taste: This salad was yummy! While the feta didn't seem to fit the other Panera salads, here it found its proper home. The chicken was a little thin and not the best quality—but the hummus was a really nice addition. In the end, the shawarma seasoning was what took this salad to another level, making it truly tasty. The dressing was also appropriate and enhanced the salad. Note to Panera: I found a piece of lettuce end in my salad. Be more mindful of your ingredients. (And chop those onions!) If I were near Panera and hungry, I would get this salad again.

Rating: 8/10

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