30 Great Recipes For Some Serious Lunch Inspiration

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Tuna poke bowl. Photo / Babiche Martens

Keep these ideas in your back pocket, from simple pea fritters with salty halloumi to moreish three-cheese frittata and smashed eggplant on Turkish bread.

The list of ingredients you can use in poke bowls is endless, the key is to use the freshest possible. You

Frozen peas come into their own with these simple fritters, perfect topped with a poached egg. Add chives for a delicious flavour and texture.

Pea fritters with asparagus and poached egg. Photo / Babiche Martens
Pea fritters with asparagus and poached egg. Photo / Babiche Martens

One of the best parts of this salad is the juices at the bottom of the bowl. With the kalamata olives and the warm halloumi, this makes a beautiful summer lunch.

This frittata is a fantastic way to use up any leftover roasted vegetables. Simply throw all the ingredients into a tart tin, and let the oven do all the work.

Three-cheese frittata with potato and thyme. Photo / Eleanor Ozich
Three-cheese frittata with potato and thyme. Photo / Eleanor Ozich

Pan bagnat, a speciality sandwich from the South of France, is stuffed with raw salad ingredients, plus eggs, tuna, and olives. For this vegetarian version, use tomatoes, basil, grilled vegetables and pesto.

Grate and mash beetroot into this yummy burger patty, a healthier alternative to a steak burger. Pile on your favourite fillings and add a tasty aioli, or make a tahini dressing.

Beetroot and feta burgers. Photo / Babiche Martens
Beetroot and feta burgers. Photo / Babiche Martens

Couscous is a hearty base for a salad. Team it with what you find in your fridge or garden, like tomatoes, celery, olives, and herbs. More substantial with fried halloumi, sliced steak or chicken breast.

Instead of throwing out unused bread, use it to make delicious crunchy croutons for a simple salad.

Rustic tuna, tomato and rocket salad with crunchy croutons. Photo / Babiche Martens
Rustic tuna, tomato and rocket salad with crunchy croutons. Photo / Babiche Martens

Avocados make a fantastic topping to a good quality bread. For a gourmet twist, top your avocado with salty feta and toasted pumpkin seeds for extra crunch.

Eggplant has an addictive, slightly bitter, smoky flavour when cooked on an open flame. This simple smash is wonderful on top of freshly grilled bread topped with a little drizzle of your favourite olive oil. Add fresh tomatoes and a pinch of chilli to spice it up.

Smashed eggplant on turkish bread. Photo / Babiche Martens
Smashed eggplant on turkish bread. Photo / Babiche Martens

Send yourself to New York City with this Reuben sandwich. This hearty and delicious recipe uses fresh rye bread.

Allow the easy-to-make falafels to cool completely before placing them into your lunch box. Take a little yoghurt, hummus and pita to complete.

Green falafels with tahini and lemon yoghurt. Photo / Babiche Martens
Green falafels with tahini and lemon yoghurt. Photo / Babiche Martens

A selection of oyster, shiitake and field mushrooms is mixed together with a simple beef salad. Salads are great for this time of year and a steak goes a long way when it is sliced thinly.

Crunchy vegetables are beautiful with a creamy satay sauce that can be made up to a week in advance, ready to drizzle on an array of dishes. Refrigerate in a jar until needed.

Vegetable and tofu satay salad. Photo / Babiche Martens
Vegetable and tofu satay salad. Photo / Babiche Martens

Gado-gado means “mix mix” and this Indonesian recipe is based on a coconut peanut sauce poured warm over a selection of fresh blanched vegetables. Top with crispy fried shallots for a tasty crunchy finish.

Using frozen edamame to jazz up the smash with lemon zest is simple and delicious. The crunchy freshness of cos elevates any burger.

Fish burger with avocado and edamame mash. Photo / Babiche Martens
Fish burger with avocado and edamame mash. Photo / Babiche Martens

Another mid-week favourite is this delicious lamb and aubergine in roll-your-own flatbreads, using store-bought flatbreads. Add nuts, chilli, olives and herbs to jazz them up.

Roasting the pumpkin brings out the sweetness and flavour in this recipe. Then the rest is easy.

Roast pumpkin and garlic tart. Photo / Babiche Martens
Roast pumpkin and garlic tart. Photo / Babiche Martens

Simply opening a tin of chickpeas is the first step in this vegetable salad, which is wonderfully crunchy and garlicky. Add feta and a piece of chicken on top for some extra protein and, voila, a tasty lunch.

An effortless, satisfying meal cooked in an addictively moreish yuzu-sesame sauce, courtesy of the beloved food writer.

Nigel Slate's chicken with yuzu and broccoli. Photo / Supplied
Nigel Slate's chicken with yuzu and broccoli. Photo / Supplied

These can be made ahead of time and reheated in the oven for a few minutes before serving. Paired with the lemon and spinach these pancakes are light and tender.

Cauliflower is tossed in aromatic spices along with boiled potatoes cut small, with sultanas for a little sweetness. Add a piece of fish or chicken, with a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of yoghurt.

Cauliflower and potato salad. Photo / Babiche Martens
Cauliflower and potato salad. Photo / Babiche Martens

The goat feta adds a tasty punch to the dressing while pumpkin seeds provide crunch to contrast with the creamy avocado. If you can’t source all the ingredients, this recipe will still be delicious.

When you are lucky enough to be given some beautiful fresh kingfish, it needs little else to make a perfect meal. A quick pan-fry in butter with a good season of salt and pepper is all the fish needs.

Seared kingfish with fresh greens. Photo / Babiche Martens
Seared kingfish with fresh greens. Photo / Babiche Martens

This quick, throw-together salad is always a hit, with flavoursome smoked chicken, avocado and crunchy nuts, all good ingredients to keep on standby when you need a quick meal.

This vibrant variation of the traditional Middle-Eastern dish, features softly cooked eggs poached in a silky green sauce, topped with dollops of thick, unsweetened yoghurt and plenty of fresh herbs. All you need to accompany this dish is some rustic sourdough bread, perfect for mopping up all its luscious sauce.

Green spring shakshuka with avocado and fresh sprouts. Photo / Eleanor Ozich
Green spring shakshuka with avocado and fresh sprouts. Photo / Eleanor Ozich

Here’s a brilliant raw broccoli salad tossed with smoked salmon, black olives, toasted seeds and a creamy avocado dressing. The trick is to add plenty of garlic and lemon for an incredible flavour kick.

Kumara is stuffed with chickpeas and then drizzled with a tahini dressing, making a great accompaniment to a meal, or a meal on their own. They are delicious warm or cold.

Stuffed kumara with chickpeas and kale. Photo / Babiche Martens
Stuffed kumara with chickpeas and kale. Photo / Babiche Martens

The flavours develop over time so get the jackfruit made the day before if you can, then reheat. An avocado is a must, adding that wonderful, unique creamy texture. Don’t forget a good squeeze of lime.

Freeze these crepes in portions of two, then all you need to do is heat and eat. Serve with a hot green vegetable over these cooler months.

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