Say goodbye to boring lunches! This collection of over 20 vegan lunch recipes includes everything from sandwiches to salads to meal-worthy soups and stews. Every dish can be made in minutes or easily packed up!
I'll admit I'm not generally the most creative person when it comes to lunch planning. Even though I have a massive collection of recipes at my fingertips and work from home where I have access to a kitchen, I tend to get stuck in a rut, eating the same old salad day after day.
So I'm putting this list together as much for me as for you guys. Lunch doesn't have to be boring!
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Tips for Winning at Lunch
I've been collecting a few tricks to make lunch better as of late, without making it into a big project that takes up half my day.
Meal-Prep
If you're anything like me, you usually spend Sunday afternoons getting ready for the week ahead. Add meal-prep to your weekend to-do list! Many of the lunches on this list can be made in big batches and portioned out for the week.
Get Freezer-Friendly
One of the most common questions I get on just about every recipe on this site is whether it freezes well. I'll let you in on a secret: most foods do! With a few pretty obvious exceptions (don't go freezing a green salad, for example), almost anything you cook for dinner can be frozen for later, as long as you seal it up tightly.
How long any dish will stay tasty in the freezer is going to vary, but most things are good for at least 3 months. Then all you need to do is reheat the dish for a delicious and super quick vegna lunch!
Switch It Up
To keep things from getting monotonous I'll often prepare one recipe that I can use in multiple types of dishes. For example, I'll prepare some baked tofu that can be stuffed in a sandwich, wrap, or used to top a salad. Or I'll make a big pot of vegan chili that can be eaten on its own, stuffed into a potato, or served over a Field Roast Frankfurter.
And with those tips in mind, I've collected a few of my favorite vegan lunch recipes. Try a few of them this week!
Sandwiches & Wraps
Vegan Tuna Salad
Heart of palm and smashed chickpeas give this tuna-free salad it's amazing texture, but the real magic is in the seafoody flavor that comes from the inclusion of dulse flakes!
Lentil Shawarma Pitas
The spice-packed lentil filling is the star of this dish! To switch things up, try deconstructing this recipe and serving it as bowls instead of sandwiches.
Ginger Sesame Tempeh Lettuce Wraps
The tempeh filling for these wraps cooks up in minutes, making these a great lunch to cook fresh if you've got access to a kitchen. But no worries if you don't! Just pack the filling and lettuce leaves up separately, then assemble the wraps when you're ready to eat!
Vegan Pinwheels
Tortillas are covered with chickpea spread and veggies, rolled up and sliced into rounds to make these perfectly packable vegan pinwheels that are as fun to eat as they are delicious! Recipe from Delightful Adventures.
Vegan Chicken Salad
This isn't the chicken salad you grew up eating — it's better! Dill and almonds give supply amazing texture and flavor, while seitan packs in the protein and gives you a salad you'd never know was vegan if you hadn't made it yourself!
Eggplant Muffaletta
The cool thing about the muffaletta sandwich is that it gets better as it sits, as the bread sucks up the flavors of the fillings! This hearty sandwich will give you at least four, or as many as six(!) very satisfying vegan lunches.
Quick & Easy White Bean Salad
This healthy salad from Veggie Inspired whips up in mere minutes and can be used in so many ways — stuffed in a sandwich, scooped on a salad, or rolled up in a wrap!
Curried Tofu Salad Wraps
Of all the vegan lunch recipes on this site, these wraps are probably the one that I make the most. They're so simple, easy to throw together, pack up like a dream, and are totally delicious.
Salads & Bowls
Vegan Cobb Salad
Think salad for lunch means you'll be hungry all afternoon? Think again! This vegan spin on the classic Cobb salad loaded with hearty toppings like chickpeas, avocado, coconut bacon, and "eggy" tofu.
Chopped Asian Salad with Chickpeas
Crispy veggies and hearty chickpeas are smothered in creamy peanut sauce to make these flavor-packed salads that are perfect for meal-prep. Recipe from She Likes Food.
Spicy Kimchi Noodle Salad
This easy noodle salad from My Goodness Kitchen is a kimchi lovers dream come true. It can easily be prepped in advance or made just before serving — it only takes about 10 minutes!
Vegan Poke Bowls
These Hawaiian-inspired bowls feature sesame ginger tofu in place of the raw fish you'd normally find in poke bowls. Team that tofu up with avocado, mango, and macadamia nuts, and you've got one irresistible vegan lunch that you'll be craving all morning long.
Veggie Burger in a Bowl
Ever tried packing a veggie burger for lunch? It can get kind of messy. The solution: turn that burger into a bowl with this recipe from Hey Nutrition Lady!
Vegan Greek Salad
This vegan Greek salad has all the flavors of a traditional Greek salad, but uses protein-packed tofu feta cheese in place of the dairy-based stuff.
Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad
Does the mere idea of salad for lunch make your stomach growl? You need to try a noodle salad! This one is packed with flavor, topped with hoisin glazed tofu, and totally scrumptious.
Lemon Dill Quinoa Chickpea Salad
This refreshing salad from Kitchen Treaty comes together in minutes and keeps in the fridge for days. It's the perfect vegan lunch for those days when you've got little time for meal-preparation!
Soups & Stews
Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken noodle soup was my favorite lunch as a kid, and this vegan version featuring savory baked tofu is even better than the stuff I grew up eating! Try packing the noodles and tofu separate from the soup, and then mix everything up just before serving.
10-Minute Coconut Yogurt & Chickpea Curry
Is there anything more comforting than a big bowl of curry for lunch? Well good news! This one can be ready to eat in mere minutes! Recipe from Strength & Sunshine.
Moroccan-Inspired Chickpea Soup
This chickpea soup is just about one of the easiest soups to whip up from scratch, so it's great when you have a few minutes to cook, but it also packs really well for those days when you don't!
Mason Jar Miso Soup
Piping hot miso soup...in portable form! Do all the prep work and assemble these jars in advance, then just add hot water when you're ready for lunch. Recipe from SunnysideHanne.
Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew
This stew packs up great, and gets even better over time, with the lentils soaking up every bit of broth and spice!
Healthy Ramen with Sesame and Fresh Vegetables
Forget all about those super-processed (and not very tasty) ramen packets from the supermarket! This hearty ramen from Go Dairy Free is packed with the good stuff — like fresh veggies, slurpable noodles, and a touch of sesame flavor.
Tempeh Chili
We all know that chili packs up great and makes a delicious lunch. For just about the most satisfying, hearty vegan chili that will not leave you searching for a snack in the afternoon, make it with protein-packed tempeh!
Other Vegan Lunch Recipes
Sweet Potato Sushi
Vegan sushi often makes a great packable lunch...in theory. In reality you might get stuck with rolls full of brown avocado and soggy veggies. Sweet potato sushi filling, on the other hand, holds up great in a lunch pail and will definitely spark the interest of your lunch buddies.
Vegan Potato Leek Quiche
I love cooking up one of these for breakfast on the weekend, and then saving the extra slices for weekday lunches!
Pineapple Fried Rice
Got some leftover rice from last night's dinner? Repurpose it by making fried rice!
Want some more vegan lunch ideas? Check out my Vegan Lunch Recipes board on Pinterest!
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