17 Easy Vegan Lunch Ideas
Welcome to this amazing compilation of vegan lunch ideas!
In a world where lunchtimes are busy and every moment counts, I've put together a selection of 17 Easy Vegan Lunch Ideas to fuel your afternoon with flavour and vitality. Whether you're a long-time vegan or exploring plant-based eating, these recipes are guaranteed to leave you feeling nourished and content.
If you’ve been on the look-out for easy vegan lunch ideas, I've got your midday meals covered with this list. Get prepared to elevate your lunchtime experience with these delectable and wholesome vegan lunch ideas!
If you're seeking a tasty savoury vegan lunch option, this recipe for vegan corn fritters is sure to hit the spot.
This is not only a suitable vegan recipe for beginners, but these vegan corn fritters are super delicious too!
Corn fritters make for a perfect light, savoury vegan lunch idea, where you can get creative by adding extras on top such as avocado or some homemade salsa, but honestly they are pretty delicious just by themselves too.
They heat up perfectly, or can be enjoyed cold.
When faced with an abundance of zucchinis, turning them into these delectable vegan zucchini fritters is an unbeatable choice for a satisfying vegan lunch.
Zucchini, also referred to as courgette in certain regions, offers versatility and nutrition. They feature a slightly sweet taste and a tender texture, alongside a wealth of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, vitamin A, and potassium, making it a valuable addition to any meal.
Achieving the perfect texture is key to crafting exceptional vegan zucchini fritters. They should sport a crispy exterior while retaining a tender, moist centre.
Top them off with some scrumptious vegan feta, and you've got a café-quality lunch at your fingertips!
Who can resist the allure of a savoury vegan muffin for lunch? Indulge in these delectable vegan sundried tomato savoury muffins that fulfill every craving and more!
The blend of sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, and nutritional yeast creates a cheesy, pizza-like flavour profile that simply begs to be savoured—a genuinely delightful vegan lunch option that demands a taste test!
Have you ever pondered a vegan rendition of the smoky, savoury allure of smoked salmon? Enter carrot lox—a lunchtime twist on the traditional favourite.
Thinly sliced carrots marinated in a blend of olive oil, liquid smoke, and aromatic seasonings replicate the rich flavour profile of its aquatic counterpart.
Bursting with colour and boasting a delightful texture, carrot lox elevates bagels, salads, and sushi rolls to new heights, ready to make your vegan lunch a whole lot fancier.
The versatility of utilising vegan carrot lox is endless for your search for tasty vegan lunch ideas, and one that you will soon adore.
Vegan Broccoli Soup:
Soups are often overlooked, especially when searching for an easy vegan lunch idea - enter vegan broccoli soup!
If you are searching for your next favourite vegan vegetable soups? Then this incredibly simple vegan broccoli soup no nuts recipe is honestly going to tick all of your boxes
It’s simple to make
It’s super comforting
And very flavoursome!
Who doesn’t love vegan vegetable soups, let’s be honest?
Silken Tofu with Garlic and Onion:
Silken tofu with garlic and onion recipe that is super easy to make in less than 10 minutes, incredible refreshing and honestly so tasty for a quick vegan lunch idea!
Tofu is a highly versatile ingredient, and it comes in many forms, and silken tofu is just another marvellous variation that honestly gets over looked far too often. I’ve use silken tofu to make an incredible Greek Tzatziki that replicates the creaminess to a tee, and with this Silken Tofu with Garlic and Onion recipe you’ll be honestly surprised how delicious it truly is.
The flavour combinations are endless with this recipe. You can alter the recipe to be a satay silken tofu, or even add a bit of spice with some chilli oil.
Ultimate Beans on Toast w/ Vegan Chilli Chive Cheese:
Here’s another simple and light lunch idea that you can implement with some highly nutritious butter beans.
This Ultimate Beans of Toast recipe utilises the addition of some flavoursome vegan chilli chive cheese, but honestly you add the addition of any vegan cream cheese.
If you are looking to make your own vegan cheese using cashews, this is a great lunch ideas recipe to utilise.
Vegan Mushroom Pies:
Making your own delicious vegan pies couldn’t be easier, and this flavoursome vegan mushroom pie recipe is sure to impress.
This recipe utilises not only the versatility of mushrooms, but also a handful of other simple and affordable household pantry items that should be featured in most vegan households.
A delicious combination of soy sauce, maple syrup and tomato paste offers a flavoursome, rich and slightly sweet sauce base that needs to be experienced.
Pies are a great lunch time favourite, and you can’t go wrong with this vegan mushroom pie recipe.
Vegan Pumpkin Soup:
We experienced the deliciousness of a vegan broccoli soup earlier, but probably the next best thing is a creamy vegan pumpkin soup.
Soups are always a winner during the colder months, and the convenience of soups make for an ideal ‘grab-and-go’ vegan lunch idea for you to implement into your routine.
I recommend using butternut pumpkin, also known as butternut squash. This variety of pumpkin offers a subtly sweet flavour that pairs perfectly with the other ingredients in the soup. Plus, butternut pumpkin's creamy texture makes it ideal for blending into a smooth and velvety vegan soup.
Chickpea Tuno:
This recipe right here probably has to be one of my favourite vegan lunch ideas - a flavoursome chickpea tuno.
Chickpeas are not only a highly nutritious ingredient incorporate into your vegan diet, but it’s incredibly versatile too.
In this recipe we will loosely mash the chickpeas to replicate a stringy texture like that of canned tuna. This chickpea tuna recipe is a versatile alternative to canned tuna, and can be incorporated in a number of ways - sandwich filling, tossed over a salad or even enjoyed by itself.
Jackfruit Pot Pie:
Introducing a fresh and innovative ways to incorporate jackfruit into your culinary repertoire - the jackfruit pot pie!
If you've never heard of or considered using jackfruit in your cooking, you're not alone. Jackfruit, a tropical fruit commonly grown in Asia, Africa, and South America, is taking the culinary world by storm, particularly among vegans in search of meat-like textures in their recipes.
This recipe right here does a fantastic job of replicating your traditional chicken pot pie by using jackfruit to replicate that stringy chicken texture.
The flavours are comforting, and these pies act as a great way to enjoy a quick and delicious lunch.
Vegan Sloppy Joes using TVP
Here’s an iconic American recipe veganised for your tasting pleasure - Vegan Sloppy Joes using TVP.
If you haven't experimented with TVP before, fret not—it's easy to work with, offering a minced meat-like texture that superbly absorbs flavours.
Not only is it incredibly affordable, but it's also a nutritional powerhouse, boasting approximately 38g of protein per cup.
What sets this vegan Sloppy Joes recipe apart is the infusion of distinctive flavours, combining the sharpness of Dijon mustard with the subtle sweetness of maple syrup. This dynamic duo transforms the TVP into a delectable blend of sweet and savoury that promises to tantalise your taste buds.
Vegan Pepper No-Beef Pies:
Yes, it’s another vegan pie recipe, but I’m telling you that pies make for an ideal vegan lunch idea.
Replicating your traditional Australian pie, this vegan pie recipe utilises mushrooms, pepper and plant based mince.
This simple pie recipe is great for time poor people, as you can whip up a few of these and savour them throughout the week.
Chickpea Meatball Subs:
Here comes those highly nutritious and versatile chickpeas again, featuring in another vegan lunch time favourite: Chickpea Meatball Subs.
Get ready to recreate a Subway-like sub with these chickpea meatballs that are chewy, flavoursome and downright amazing.
You don’t have to have these meatballs in a sub either. They feel right at home in salads, pastas and even by themselves.
Crispy Cheesy Tofu Bites:
While these crispy cheesy tofu bites may be more considered as a snack, they fit into this vegan lunch ideas list of their versatility to be added into other meals to create a more complete and satisfying lunch.
Featuring only 4 ingredients, these crispy tofu bites are highly nutritious and high in protein - perfect to add to salads or light pasta meals.
Nutritional yeast has a unique flavour profile often described as cheesy, nutty, or savoury. It adds a rich umami taste to dishes, making it a popular ingredient in vegan cooking as a cheese substitute. It is also high in vitamin b12. 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast typically contains 100-200% of the recommended daily intake of B12 for adults, which equals around 2.4 mcg.
Roast Vegetable Salad w/ Walnuts & Lemon Mustard Dressing:
Whoever said salads were boring clearly hasn't tried this roasted veggie salad with crunchy walnuts and zesty lemon mustard dressing. It's a flavour explosion in every bite!
Roast vegetables certainly hit differently in terms of flavour. When vegetables are roasted at high temperatures, the natural sugars in them caramelise, resulting in a sweet and savoury flavour. This process also creates a golden brown exterior that adds depth and complexity to the taste.
The diverse variety of vegetables in this roast vegetable salad creates a truly delicious combination, and when combined with the crunchy walnuts and zesty lemon mustard dressing you have one delicious vegan lunch idea.
Vegan BBQ Pulled Jackfruit:
To round out this incredible vegan lunch ideas list, we have this delicious vegan BBQ pulled jackfruit recipe that ticks so many lunchtime boxes.
It’s easy to prepare, versatile and delicious.
Jackfruit, a tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia, has become a sensation in the vegan and vegetarian world. Its fibrous and meat-like texture makes it an ideal substitute for pulled pork in barbeque recipes, such as this vegan BBQ pulled jackfruit.
This recipe is a fantastic alternative to recreate some deliciously smoky and tangy flavour using plant-based ingredients.
Thank you for exploring these 17 Easy Vegan Lunch Ideas with me!
I trust these flavourful and easy recipes have sparked your appetite for enjoying a delightful vegan lunch. Whether you're in search of convenient weekday meals or leisurely weekend delights, the realm of vegan lunches promises boundless opportunities for taste, innovation, and ethical nourishment.
Keep an eye out for more mouth-watering vegan recipes and insights to enhance your plant-based culinary journey. Until next time, enjoy your time in the kitchen and these fantastic vegan lunch ideas!