Whether it’s a bowl of delicious, warm soup on a cold day or a snack to nibble on mid-morning at work – Panera is an ever popular place to go to get your favourite comfort foods! But, for those of us who are either Celiac or have a gluten allergy, there’s that always present question: “Is there any gluten free food at Panera?” or “Is there anything at all I can eat at Panera Bread?” It’s our mission to answer that question today! (And since these restaurants are called Panera Bread, we’re also wondering if there’s gluten free bread available!)
Does Panera have gluten free bread?
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news…but, no Panera does not currently have gluten free bread available on their menu. If at any point that changes, we’ll be sure to update that here. But, don’t despair! There are plenty of other gluten free options available at Panera Bread, meaning that you’ll still end up with a delicious meal and/or snack that is safe to eat.
Does Panera have any gluten free food?
Yes! Panera does have gluten free options that you’ll be able to eat. Now, Panera, like many other dining establishments, is not a dedicated gluten free restaurant. This means that even if a food item – such as soup or a salad – does not contain any gluten ingredients, that cross contamination could still occur. Because of this, please be cautious dining here, particularly if you’re Celiac. But…if you do end up getting food here, always let the server know that you’re Celiac or have a gluten allergy. This may help prevent some instances of cross contamination.
Panera Gluten Free Salads
If you’re craving something fresh, light and crispy – then these salads might be just right! These are all salads at Panera that contain no gluten-containing ingredients. As mentioned above, though, there is always a chance of cross contamination, as Panera does sell a lot of bread and other types of food with wheat and gluten in it.
- Caesar Salad – Romaine lettuce chopped and tossed with plenty of parmesan cheese. And then enriched with a gorgeous, garlicky Caesar dressing. (To be gluten free, make sure you ask for no croutons!)
- Caesar Salad with Chicken – A delicious approach to Caesar salad, but with the addition of grilled chicken! Again, be sure to ask for no croutons, as the croutons do contain gluten.
- Fuji Apple Salad with Chicken – This light, and protein packed salad has chicken, arugula, baby kale, red leaf lettuce, grape tomatoes, red onions and toasted pecans for crunch. Also gorgeous Gorgonzola (blue) cheese and apple chips for extra texture and taste. All topped with a lovely sweet white balsamic vinaigrette. Delish!
- Greek Salad – this gorgeous salad is packed with traditional Greek salad ingredients, such as fresh greens, sliced red onions, lots of feta cheese and olives. Tossed together with a Greek dressing. (Remember to say no French baguette on the side. Or, I suppose you could just give that to a gluten-eating friend!)
- Green Goddess Cobb Salad – This smorgasbord of a salad contains all sorts of delicious ingredients! Chicken, arugula, baby kale, and red leaf lettuce, grape tomatoes, pickled red onions tossed together in a freshly made Green Goddess salad dressing. Then topped off with crumbled crisp bacon, sliced avocado, and sliced hard boiled (cage free) eggs. Oooh boy, this would be my choice!!
Gluten free soups at Panera
And now, for the ultimate in comfort food: a steaming bowl of delicious soup! We found a few options that are gluten free, but as always, be sure to let your server know that you’re gluten free. And, leave the French baguette slice that accompanies the soup behind. (Or pass it along to a gluten-guzzling friend.)
- Summer Corn Chowder – A delicious sounding soup, but I couldn’t find it currently on their menu. Is it only available seasonally, in the summer?
- Southwest Chicken Tortilla Soup – Waiting for more information on this, as it’s currently not listed on their website.
- Low Fat Vegetarian Black Bean Soup – Again, no current info on their website on this soup. But, I’ve emailed to get more information and will post it as soon as I hear back from Panera.
To be safe, ask at your local Panera cafe to see which soups they’re serving today are gluten free! As mentioned earlier, I’ve contacted Panera and hope to update this with more gluten free food options as soon as I have more details from the company itself. For now, eat well and stay safe! (And if you’re eating at Panera, for now that might mean that eating a salad is your safest bet.)