Filling, flavourful and thrifty – these packed lunches will be the envy of the office fridge.
It’s tempting to nip out for a sandwich come lunchtime, and there are plenty of stellar spots to satiate carby cravings. But your wallet and body will thank you for supplementing your
Economic and health prudency needn’t relegate your midday meal to a tupperware container of sad, limp vegetables though. Collated below are 17 substantial salads that make bringing a packed lunch a touch more appealing. There are bowls built around underrated nutty grains, plates with more colours than the rainbow and even a salad with an ingredient list that reads suspiciously similar to that of a famous sandwich.
Although you’re not venturing out to the shops it’s still important to actually take a break. Weather permitting we encourage you to head outdoors, or at least to the break room to enjoy whichever recipe takes your fancy – everything tastes better when not scarfed down at your desk.
Utilising bagged spinach and store-bought cooked chicken, this crunchy and zesty bowl is a million miles from a pre-packaged salad, but just as easy to throw together.
Bulghur wheat has a texture similar to quinoa or couscous, but a bit denser and with a softly nutty flavour. Here it’s cooked in vegetable stock to dial up the savoury flavour profile, while charred lemons and sharp goat cheese offer flecks of perkiness.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
This noodle salad has a just-right blend of cool crunch in the cucumber and fresh coriander; creamy avocado and peanut butter; and salty-tangy soy, sriracha and lime juice.
Lemon juice and oil get added to the cooking pot, meaning no dressing is required – the freekeh instead takes on the delicious flavours of both. Add fresh vegetables of your choosing to finish this simple, nutty salad.
Sticky and fragrant chicken thighs meet a papaya salad that is light, zingy and a touch spicy in this recipe that lets you eat the rainbow.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.Originally devised as an accompaniment to a dinner of barbecued meats, this six-ingredient grain salad is equally well suited to an office lunchtime. Blanching the broccoli helps keep it fresh and crunchy.
Dates and feta help draw out out the natural sweetness of the beetroot. A zoodle maker will make light work of cutting it into jewel-like strands, but a box grater will get the job done too. Season this one just before serving, to prevent it becoming watery.
Crunchy vegetables are all the more beautiful doused with a creamy satay sauce that can be made (meal-prepped) up to a week in advance.
This bright bowl is the perfect excuse to celebrate the best produce spring has to offer. Or at least eat it for lunch.
A bit retro - in the most mouthwatering of ways - this combination of generously hunked smoked chicken, avocado, bacon and croutons club is essentially a club sandwich in salad form.
Orange and parsley lighten the more nutritionally dense aspects of this wholesome bowl. The flavours develop and meld together given a bit of time, perfect for a packed lunch.
Spicy chorizo and ripened sun-dried tomatoes make this Mediterranean salad warming, even when eaten cold.
Slightly tangy and a little sour, tamarind makes a great base for a lively dressing to pour over herby falafels that come together quickly (and cleanly) in a food processor.
A fresh takeaway favourite, poke bowls are actually relatively quick and simple to throw together yourself. Set the tuna aside to marinate while you prep the rest of the vegetables.
A handful of crispy noodles brings the crunch factor to this special salad. You might think steak is too flash for an everyday lunch, but it’s sliced thinly, so you can stretch it across a couple of serves without feeling stingy.
Is a stir fry a salad? This packed-with-flavour bowl of greens tossed in herby dressing is so savvy and flavourful that you’ll make an exception.
Do you have bread that’s gone a bit stale? No, what you have are the raw materials for deliciously crunchy croutons that soak up every last bit of this protein-rich salad’s sharp flavours.
More recipes
From sweet to savoury.
17 Recipes That Highlight The Versatility Of Pears. For breakfast, dinner, dessert and more.
Good Gourd: Pumpkin Recipes To Get Excited Over. Make a star of the humble pumpkin with these recipes, none of which are soup.
17 Cake Recipes To Bake For Birthdays Big & Small. Beautiful bakes for all ages and preferences.
21 Quick Dinner Recipes That You Can Turn To Time & Again. No time? No problem.
