Last week, we explored Vegan Breakfast Ideas; now let's move onto lunch! Check out these 10 tasty and nourishing ideas for the midday meal and then share your own vegan-friendly tips in the comments!
• 1 Bean dips and spreads – Use spreads like Hummus and Fresh Shell Bean and Sage Spread on sandwiches or as a dip for pita, crackers, or vegetables.
• 2 Chickpea sandwich – This Chickpea of the Sea sandwich filling can be made with vegan mayo or a vinaigrette in place of the mayo.
• 3 Couscous – Couscous is fantastic both warm and cool; try Israeli Couscous with Chard or Couscous with Raisins, Pine Nuts, and Capers.
• 7 Eggplant spread – Use sweet, smoky Baba Ghanoush as a spread for vegetable sandwiches and wraps.
• 4 Lentils and grains – We can never get enough of this balanced and filling Lentil Salad with farro, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
• 5 Maki sushi – Wrap seaweed and rice around cucumber, carrot, burdock, or other vegetables; see Make Vegetable Maki Sushi With Kids! and Umeshiso Maki Sushi for preparation and filling tips.
• 6 Protein-packed stews – If you have a thermos or access to a microwave, these stews would be delicious and nourishing: Curried Vegetable and Chickpea Stew, Sweet Potato and Tempeh Stew, Vegetarian Black Bean Espresso Chili (omit the honey or substitute maple syrup).
• 8 Soba – Japanese buckwheat noodles are so satisfying in dishes like Cold Soba, Sesame and Carrot Salad and Jackie's Cold Buckwheat Noodles with Julienned Vegetables (omit the egg).
• 9 Spring or summer rolls – Like sushi, you can fill spring or summer rolls with all kinds of vegetables and tofu; check out this refreshing recipe for Vegetable and Mint Summer Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce.
• 10 Vietnamese noodle salad – Pack the noodles, tofu, greens, and sauce for Bún Chay separately and then toss them together just before eating.
Related: 10 Vegan Breakfast Ideas
(Originally published April 17, 2010)
(Images: Kathryn Hill, Dana Velden, Emily Ho, Emily Ho, Kathryn Hill, Emma Christensen, Faith Durand, Faith Durand, Elizabeth Passarella, Emily Ho)
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Love it! I usually bring leftovers (esp. soup), tempeh BLT sandwiches, salads (with lots of walnuts and chickpeas), hummus with pita and veggies, and smoothies.
This is a recipe for a spicy Indian tomato lentil soup called rasam. I usually eat it with rice. Grew up on it!
http://abcdsofcooking.blogspot.com/2010/04/saru-tomato-lentil-soup.html
I may be a meat eater bit I do like hummus a lot but I'm not a huge fan of the kinda bland stuff you usually get so I started making a more flavorful spicy hummus from scratch at home and think it's actually better than most of what i've tried - here's a link to a good recipe http://bit.ly/9XPdRK , I tried it and it turned out really good but I did learn not to add more garlic than recommended!!
What are the the pink looking things in the first image of? The look faintly familiar but I can't put my finger on them!
I'm with topher, what the heck are those?
I think they're watermelon radish.
Thanks for the increase in vegan posts recently! I'm a vegetarian who has decided to go vegan during my work week to avoid all of the constant, bad for me, free food at work (pizza, cake, cookies, potlucks) because I have no willpower. This is my second week at it and so far so good except for eating a mini Reece's without thinking about it...but I digress. Anyways, you guys are helping keep me motivated with all of the yummy looking vegan posts.
I'm definitely going to have to try those soba dishes!
I love soba noodles and Vietnamese noodle bowls (esp. with sriracha). Yummy.
If I had to chose one, I would take the protein packed stews :) Grains lentils, hummus, noodles...taste great, but nothing beats a good, hearty and filling stew.
My old favorite is the Gypsy pot (chickpeas, potatoes, pears, pumpkin and a "sofrito" http://www.talesofaspoon.com/2009/04/gypsy-pot-recipe/) because you get a balanced meal in one course, it's easy to reheat, tastes even better the second day and it's also delicious cold (perfect for summer!).
Yes, they're definitely watermelon radish.
Although a vegan cliche, I'm currently hooked on a big "lunch salad." My fav is lots of spinach with black beans, corn, avocado, diced bell peppers... with a small amount of Annie's red pepper dressing, a generous amount of TJ's roasted salsa, and tortilla chips crumbled on top.
Otherwise, I'm a big fan of eating last night's leftovers for lunch. I also frequently put some organic broccoli in a to-go container and microwave steam it for a little extra veg at lunch.
Yes, it's watermelon radish!
Thank you for posting this. Although I'm not a vegan, it's always a great thing to expand my taste palette :)
Good ideas! I'm not a vegan, but I tend to go meatless. Another great chickpea sandwich recipe is the Smashed Chickpea Salad from Smitten Kitchen: http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/smashed-chickpea-salad/
This one has chickpeas, red onion, parsley, olives, and lemon. So simple and so tasty!
annishbat- I've made that before its great, I skip the bread and have it with greens mix more lemon and olive oil for a dressing.
Thanks for the post always looking for inspiration.
I've been making zucchini as my pasta with tomatoes
(Italian organic whole canned) and basil
Its so easy and delicious- I don't throw away the last seeded part of the zucchini, I use them in soaps or bake them with eggplant for another dish-
http://summertomato.com/better-than-pasta-subtitutes-summer-squash-noodle-recipe/
not soaps but soups ^^^
My favorite - saute a big mix of mushrooms in olive oil. Add one crushed clove of garlic. Salt and pepper. Dried thyme leaves. Spoon on to toasted, crusty country bread. Yum!!
LoriSF, I love your suggestions! Zucchini is a favorite for stir-fry, but I've never tried it in place of pasta.
I'm also one of the big salad devotees. Usually baby spinach, mushrooms, whatever else I have (apples, radishes, etc), and then I add cubes of pan-fried tofu (I heat up the tofu in the microwave first, then add the salad on top). Healthy and filling!
Great lunch ideas! Love all of the recipes!
Yum! I make what I call "pantry couscous" at least once a week, using anything and everything in my fridge/pantry/garden. It's so versatile and fun to eat. You can add any flavors, depending on your mood...spicy asian, thai, zesty italian, fresh and summery, herby, etc.. My most recent favorite combo that I recreated for a meal with friends had the following: sauteed onions in sun-dried tomato olive oil, whole wheat couscous cooked in vegetable broth (instead of water), and I added scrambled farm-fresh eggs, red kidney beans, fresh italian parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, and sun-dried tomatoes, served warm. And bonus! The leftovers are perfect the next day eaten cold for breakfast or lunch.
i like the guy/girl who posted the brilliant quote of the day, maybe the year... "I am totally vegetation.."
brilliant. and i agree with the first comment on everything. tempeh (TLT's) are delicious. i also like a tempeh salad.
My favorite sandwich is not on this list: peanut butter and banana on whole wheat bread. I have it almost every day for lunch and I never really seem to get tired of it. I would love to have a more diverse lunch including some of those lovely things pictured above but its just so easy to make a PB&B
Love vegan recipes, but this site should be changed to thevegankitchn. Let's see some meat too!
(My bad. It *is* vegan week! Mental note to self: read more thoroughly)
@annishbat: Another vote for the smashed chickpea salad. It is totally awesome. I like to roast red peppers to go along with it in sandwiches.
My absolute fave vegan lunch and a staple in my lunch rotation (and I'm not even vegan! its just SO good) is this vegan caesar salad (adapted from 101 cookbooks). The capers are the secret ingredient that give it that salty/briny taste...Recipe: http://bit.ly/fiRwUZ
I'm not vegan, I'm not even remotely vegetarian, but I do try to eat real food and I try to eat locally grown food that has been ethically raised (including meat and meat products). I am trying to increase the number of vegetarian and vegan meals that I eat so I have been researching the topic. This is the FIRST site that I've found that doesn't base 90% of it's vegan suggestions on processed meat and cheese substitutes. I don't eat processed versions of the real thing why would I want a substitute for it? Thank you so much for offering suggestions based on real food!! These are fantastic!
www.dineswell.blogspot.com
I saw the chickpea of the sea sandwich on pinterest last week, so I made it on sunday for my lunches this week. Soo yummy, especially w/ some spanish paprika!