Recipes

Herb and Garlic Butter Bean Salad

Big, creamy beans marinated in fresh herbs, garlic and lemon juice are a simple go-to for your weekly meal plan. Make this recipe in larger batches at the start of the week to ensure you don’t run out—the flavour improves over time. —Suzanne Barr

Total 20 min

Coconut Rice Salad

Inspired by Afro-Caribbean flavours, this recipe pairs perfectly cooked rice with a medley of vegetables, fruit and toasted cashews and coconut. The zesty vinaigrette brings everything together superbly, leaving you to daydream about a white sandy beach in the Caribbean in the middle of lunch. —Suzanne Barr

Total 45 min

Bread and Tomato Salad

Chili-spiced toasted bread, fresh cucumbers and plump tomatoes make this complex, flavourful salad perfect for lunch gatherings. It’s more than a bread salad; it also has a tart, sweet kick thanks to the pomegranate seeds. —Suzanne Barr

Total 30 min

Miso Bagna Càuda Soba Noodle Salad

The best thing about this power lunch is that it’s a quick and easy recipe that’s packed with flavour and has a crunchy texture. The miso bagna càuda is creamy and can be enjoyed cold or at room temperature. Add your favourite protein to make this a balanced meal. —Suzanne Barr

Total 20 min

Recipes

Roasted Tomato and Burrata Tartine

Travelling in Rome made me fall in love with burrata, especially when it’s dressed simply with good olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper. I like adding roasted vine-ripened tomatoes and placing it all on a thick slice of crusty sourdough. Perfect for lunch under the sun.—Diala Canelo

Total 20 min

Roasted Vegetable Sandwich with Pesto and Mozzarella

The amount of veg in this recipe is just a guide. Roast as many of your favourite vegetables as you like on Sunday, and you'll have the base for a week’s worth of sandwiches. Topped with pesto and creamy mozzarella, they make for a hearty and refreshing filling that has been on heavy rotation at my home lately.—Diala Canelo

Total 30 min

Kimchi, Egg and Avocado Sandwich

If you haven’t tried kimchi paired with scrambled eggs, you’re in for a treat. The creaminess of the soft scramble goes so well with the spiciness and umami flavour of the kimchi. With this sandwich, you get texture and vibrancy in every single bite—and a filling, protein-packed lunch to boot.—Diala Canel

Total 15 min

Recipes

Mushroom and Ricotta Tartine

I love a good open-faced sandwich for lunch or dinner, and this mushroom tartine is by far one of my favourites. It’s simple to make, but the flavour of all the mushrooms together is so complex and rich. Adding the creamy ricotta makes it a great appetizer as well—double or triple the recipe and cut into finger-food portions.—Diala Canelo

Total 15 min

Recipes

Tomato and Harissa Pastina

While pastina is traditionally a soup for children, there’s no rule that says it can’t be made for adults. Blending aromatics into the broth gives it a bit of heft; harissa adds a deeply flavourful punch. For a quick home lunch, the broth can be made in advance; simply heat it up when you’re ready to cook the pasta. For an office lunch, pack the fresh spinach separately and stir it into the soup just before popping it in the microwave.—Chantal Braganza

Total 35 min

Açorda Antelejana (Portuguese Bread Soup)

We know what you’re thinking: Poaching an egg? For a weekday lunch?! We promise this soup is quick and worth cracking a few eggs for if you have access to a stove during the workweek. Açorda, a traditional Portuguese dish that turns stale bread into a variety of soups, epitomizes the spirit of thrifty cooking. Bom proveito!—Chantal Braganza

Total 25 min

Recipes

Vegan Kimchi Soondubu

Dishes that taste better the next day were practically made for lunch prepping, and this silky, spicy stew—a vegan riff on soondubu jjigae—fits the bill and reheats beautifully. Many traditional versions of this dish include an anchovy broth or pork belly; using earthy dried shiitake mushrooms and dasima (dried-kelp sheets) for the base broth instead makes it just as delicious.—Chantal Braganza

Total 30 min

Recipes

Dal Tadka (Red Lentils with Spiced Oil)

Tempering dried spices in hot oil to coax out their flavours is known as tadka as well as a few other names across India. It’s the expert-level step to layering flavour in many types of dishes, including this simple lentil soup.—Chantal Braganza

Total 50 min

Recipes

Turkey-Apple Sandwich With Cranberry Chutney

Slices of tart Granny Smith apple and a zippy cranberry chutney dial up the flavour of an otherwise standard turkey sandwich.

Total 35 min

Recipes

Haft Mewa

Haft Mewa, a sensory symphony of syrupy sweetness and satisfying crunch, is a delectable dried fruit salad that takes center stage in March during Nowruz—the Solar Hijri new year celebration in Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan and various Central Asian nations. It symbolizes the vibrancy and freshness heralded by the new year, triumphing over the winter’s dryness.

Total 180 min