Some meals just make you feel like you’re doing something good for your body, and this is one of them.
You’ll love all the different flavors and textures in this Panera Bread baja bowl recipe, and you’ll especially love how good it makes you feel.
This yummy grain bowl has a delicious black bean and corn salsa, creamy avocado, Greek yogurt and salsa verde, juicy tomatoes and tangy feta cheese. And it’s all topped off with a fresh and zesty cilantro lime vinaigrette.
Ingredients for this Baja Bowl Recipe
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Panera baja grain bowl:
- Brown rice. When I’m making two different kinds of grains, like in warm grain bowls like this, I love using boil-in-bag rice because it’s so easy!
- Quinoa. You can find a tri-color quinoa blend in the boil-in-bag variety, or if you prefer white quinoa it’s pretty simple to prepare on the stove top.
- Black beans. We’re using canned black beans that we’ll rinse and drain. So easy.
- Corn. Same as with the black beans. Pop open a can.
- Salsa verde. No need to make homemade salsa verde. You can find it in jars in most grocery stores, just like regular salsa.
- Red grape tomatoes
- Ripe avocado
- Feta cheese
- Whole milk Greek yogurt
- Fresh lime. We’ll be using both the lime juice and the zest.
- Fresh cilantro
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Honey
How to Make this Baja Bowl Recipe
Prepare the Black Bean Corn Salsa
First, rinse and drain the can of black beans. Also, drain the can of corn. Then, zest the lime and squeeze out all the juice into a small bowl.
Now, put the corn and black beans into the bowl of lime juice and lime zest. Sprinkle a little bit of cumin and toss it all together.
Be sure to season the salsa with lots of salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the Warm Grains
Cook the brown rice and quinoa.
The boil-in-bag grains are the easiest things to use for this Panera warm grain bowl, and I recommend using them to save yourself the clean up of rice cookers and saucepans.
Make the Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
Grab your food processor and pulse the fresh cilantro with lime juice, honey and salt.
Then, drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube slowly while the motor is running. This will allow the ingredients to emulsify and become a coherent mixture.
Assemble the Bowls
Start with your whole grains – place them at the bottom of the bowls. Then, arrange the black bean-corn salsa and halved tomatoes in the bowls.
Now, load on your toppings: the sliced avocado, cubes of feta, a dollop of plain Greek yogurt and a drizzle of salsa verde.
Just before you want to enjoy your warm bowl, drizzle it with the cilantro lime vinaigrette.
Watch this Video Tutorial!
Variations on this Baja Bowl Recipe
There are oodles of ways to customize your baja bowl! Here are just a few ideas:
1. Chicken Baja Bowl: Make a copycat Panera baja chicken bowl by simply adding grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts to this vegetarian grain bowl.
2. Vegan Panera Baja Bowl: Make this a totally plant-based meal by removing the dollop of Greek yogurt and the feta cheese. Add a healthy dose of plant-based protein with some cubed extra firm tofu.
3. Mediterranean Baja Bowl: Create a Mediterranean warm grain bowl by adding kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes and marinated artichoke hearts.
4. TexMex Baja Bowl: Add Southwestern flavors to your baja bowl by swapping in crumbled Cotija cheese for the feta, and adding pickled red onions and sliced jalapeno peppers.
How to Meal Prep this Panera Bread Baja Bowl Recipe
We love being able to meal prep these baja bowls in advance. It makes our weekday meals so easy!
I like to make a big batch of the grains and store them in separate airtight containers. Then, cut up the fresh veggies and put them in smaller airtight containers or even smaller Ziploc bags.
Prepare the cilantro lime vinaigrette and store it in a container in the refrigerator as well.
When you’re ready to assemble your bowl, just warm the grains in the microwave and put it all together!
The only thing I wouldn’t prep in advance is the avocado. As soon as avocado hits the air, it oxidizes and turns brown. You could give it a squirt of lime juice to offset the damage, but it’ll never be the same. I recommend waiting until you’re ready to enjoy your rice bowl before slicing your avocado.
How to Store this Baja Bowl
If you have leftovers that you plan to enjoy within a day or two, simply cover your grain bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator.
Store any unassembled components in individual airtight containers or Ziploc bags in the refrigerator.
When you make this Panera Bread baja bowl recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more healthy bowl recipes, try these:
- First Watch Chia Pudding Bowl (Superfood Recipe)
- Harissa Avocado Chicken Bowl (Homemade Cava Recipe)
- Chicken Bibimbap Recipe (Easy Korean Rice Bowl)
As an Amazon Influencer, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com.
Baja Bowl Recipe with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 14 oz. can black beans
- 1 14 oz. can whole kernel corn
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 cup salsa verde
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup feta cheese cubed
- 1 lime
- 1/2 tsp. cumin
Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tsp. honey
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Zest and juice the lime into a small bowl. Add the corn and cumin. Drain and rinse the black beans and add them to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well to combine. Set aside.
- Make the dressing: Pulse cilantro, lime juice, honey and salt in a food processor. With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the feed tube until incorporated. Set aside.
- Slice the tomatoes in half. Slice the avocado.
- Assemble the bowls: Divide the rice and quinoa between two bowls. Arrange the corn and black bean salad, tomatoes, tomatoes and sliced avocado over the grains. Then, place the cubed feta and dollops of yogurt and salsa verde on top.
- Drizzle the bowls with cilantro vinaigrette before serving.
Leave a Reply