The Fave Salad (Mandy’s Copycat)
A filling salad that actually tastes good. Try my copycat recipe of “The Fave” Salad from Mandy’s Gourmet Salads. You’ll also love my quinoa edamame salad, cucumber edamame salad, and high protein pasta salad.

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One of my favorite salads in the world is from a salad restaurant here in Canada called Mandy’s Gourmet Salads.
This unassuming but incredible salad is called “The Fave” for very good reason. The base is a mix of romaine and arugula, which is the most fresh and satisfying combination. It’s also loaded with delicious ingredients like broccoli, corn, parmesan, sunflower seeds, and avocado.
And it’s loaded with crunchy pita chips for an extra bite. I dream about it daily.
This recipe is everything you want in a salad: healthy, delicious, and super filling. Learn how to make this easy version of Mandy’s The Fave Salad at home!

Why you’ll love it
Amazing textures: Creamy avocado, crispy romaine, crunchy pita chips. This salad combines the most satisfying textures for the yummiest salad experience of your life.
Super nutritious: Don’t you love when a salad is super tasty but still good for you? You can thank arugula, broccoli, avocado, and sunflower seeds for this super nutrient-dense salad.
Filling: The Fave Salad is filled with fiber and protein to keep you full for hours.
Incredible dressing: This salad is smothered in a super simple but very tasty honey mustard vinaigrette.
Ingredients in The Fave Salad from Mandy’s
This salad has lots of ingredients, but it’s still super easy to make. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Romaine — sub any lettuce you like, such as iceberg, kale, baby gem lettuces, or spinach
- Arugula — I wouldn’t recommend substituting this, because it has such a unique flavor
- Broccoli — chop this small
- Shredded carrots — buy pre-grated to make life easier
- Canned corn — sub defrosted frozen corn if needed
- Avocado — use as much or as little as you like for extra healthy fats and fiber
- Sunflower seeds — sub pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, or crushed walnuts
- Shaved parmesan — freshly shaved parmesan adds the best flavor, but you could also try sharp cheddar or feta
- Salted pita chips — these make the salad! Don’t substitute or omit these
- Protein of choice — I like chopped rotisserie chicken, but you can also use cubed tofu, canned salmon, or deli turkey
- Honey mustard vinaigrette — feel free to use store bought (Mandy’s sells their dressings), or make my homemade version provided in the recipe (it’s better!)

Ingredients in homemade honey mustard vinaigrette
In my humble opinion, the only thing lacking in Mandy’s The Fave Salad is the dressing.
Their honey mustard vinaigrette contains canola oil, honey, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, and salt. It’s good, but I do think mine is better and more flavorful.
If you want to make your own honey mustard vinaigrette at home, here’s what you’ll need:
- Olive oil
- Dijon mustard
- Honey
- Apple cider vinegar
- Fresh lemon juice
- Freshly minced garlic
- Salt and pepper
Full quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step-by-step instructions
- If you’re making your own dressing, add all ingredients for the honey mustard vinaigrette to a glass jar with a fitted lid. Close the jar, and shake well until your dressing is creamy and combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add all salad ingredients except the dressing.
- When you’re ready to eat, pour your dressing over the salad. Toss until everything is well coated, adding more dressing as needed. Enjoy immediately!

More topping ideas
You are welcome to substitute or add ingredients to make The Fave Salad from Mandy’s your own. Here are some topping ideas that I think would be delicious:
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Crispy onions
- Green onions
- Feta cheese
- Pumpkin seeds
- Chopped strawberries
- Dried cranberries
- Red onion
- Sliced cucumber
What proteins work well in The Fave Salad?
You can add any protein you have available to The Fave Salad. Here are some ideas:
- Chopped rotisserie chicken (my favorite)
- Deli turkey slices
- Canned lentils
- Cubed tofu
- Canned tuna
- Canned salmon
- Crumbled turkey or veggie burger
- Cooked ground chicken
- Seitan

Meal prep instructions
To meal prep this copycat salad recipe, grab a to-go salad container or large food container. You want something big enough that you can easily toss with dressing later.
Add all salad ingredients to the container, except the pita chips and salad dressing. Store these two ingredients separately to keep the pita chips crunchy and to prevent a soggy salad.
Right before eating, add your pita chips and dressing and toss until well combined.
Shop this post
- Mandy’s honey mustard vinaigrette
- Mixing bowls
- Salad hands
- Salad scissors (if you like a chopped salad, you’ll love this)
- To-go salad container
- Salad dressing containers
Top tips to make the best Mandy’s copycat salad at home
Make sure you use enough dressing to coat all the ingredients well. If you don’t use enough honey mustard vinaigrette, it won’t be quite as good!
I’d also recommend you chop the romaine small. The salad mixes better this way and you’ll enjoy eating it way more.
And of course, make sure to serve your homemade Mandy’s The Fave Salad with a protein source! Protein is an important nutrient for feeling and staying full, so don’t skip it. I’d recommend serving this salad with 4-6 oz of whatever protein you like.

The Fave Salad (Mandy’s Copycat)
Ingredients
- 1 big handful chopped romaine
- 1 big handful arugula
- 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
- 1/4 cup shredded carrots
- 1/4 cup canned corn, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 small or medium avocado, diced
- 2 Tbsp roasted sunflower seeds, salted or unsalted work
- 2 Tbsp shaved parmesan
- 1/4 cup salted pita chips, crushed
- 1/2 cup protein of choice, I use chopped rotisserie chicken
- 2-3 Tbsp Mandy's honey mustard vinaigrette, or use the recipe below
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- If you're making your own dressing, add all ingredients for the honey mustard vinaigrette to a glass jar with a fitted lid. Close the jar, and shake well until your dressing is creamy and combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add all salad ingredients except the dressing.
- When you're ready to eat, pour your dressing over the salad. Toss until everything is well coated, adding more dressing as needed. Enjoy immediately!