13 Ways to Make Lunch Your Favorite Meal of the Day
“What’s for lunch?” It’s the question we (and our spouses, children, and roommates) ask ourselves daily while standing in front of the fridge. But over the past year, as we worked—and lunched—from home, we dialed in our mealtime strategy and found a few bright spots along the way (including lunch nachos). Consider the recipes, advice, and easy lunch ideas ahead your antidote to the midday grind.
Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou1/13Make Soup Between Meetings
While a busy Tuesday may not be the time for my latest pho experiment or pasta e fagioli, I’ve found I can still pull off a pot of lentil soup if I spread out my prep work over the course of the morning. I use five-minute breaks between meetings to chop an onion or peel some ginger (because it’s not like I’m getting any actual work done). Around noon I simply sauté some aromatics, then add lentils, fiery curry paste (Maesri or death!), and coconut milk. Thirty hands-off minutes later, I get my wish: a cozy, protein packed soup that keeps me going for hours. —Christina Chaey, associate editor
Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou2/13Fast-Track Your Tofu
In theory tofu is just what I want to eat for lunch—minus the part where I have to press, fry, bake, or marinate it first. That’s why I love the box grater method so much: Squeeze out the excess water from a block of firm or extra-firm tofu and shred the whole thing on a box grater. Cook the crumbles in oil infused with garlic, sesame seeds, and chile flakes until they’re full of flavor and take on the texture of ground meat. The tofu gets finished with an assortment of pantry staples: soy sauce, butter, scallions, and a touch of mirin or maple syrup. The result is a versatile rice bowl topper or taco filling. —Chris Morocco, test kitchen director
Illustration by Cleofus3/13Be Your Own Salad Bar
We do a VERY good impression of Chop’t in my kitchen, where the lunch rush begins at 10:59 a.m. We dig deep in the fridge and pull out random pickles, dinner leftovers, a can of chickpeas, half a thing of tuna, last night’s martini olive, expired airplane nuts from the pocket of an old winter coat—whatEVER is in the house goes atop a bed of dressed salad greens for the perfect balance of leaves, sauce, soft stuff, and crunchies. It’s important that all textures are represented. Especially crunchy. —Alex Beggs, senior staff writer
Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou4/13Two Words: Lunch Nachos
In preparing lunch for two kids, this formula saves me at least once a week: a bag of chips, a can of refried beans, leftover tinga or sliced sausage from the night before, shredded orange cheddar (it has to be orange…don’t ask), and some kind of quickly cooked veg like cauliflower or even brussels sprouts…child permitting. —C.M.
Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou5/13Learn the Art of the Doshirak
At the beginning of the pandemic, when many restaurants were trying to figure out how to make their food takeout-friendly, chef Susan Kim had already found a solution: the doshirak, a portable Korean lunchbox that usually includes rice and an assortment of banchan, or side dishes. Doshiraks, with their numerous components and hyper-neat aesthetic, provide some much-needed delight and “feel like opening a gift,” says Kim, who sells the to-go boxes through her New York City pop-up, Eat Doshi. Kim broke down the various elements of one of her favorite seasonal doshiraks so we could re-create it at home. —Priya Krishna, writer and cookbook author, ‘Indian-ish’
Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou6/13Power Lunch Meets Comfort Food
When I crave a gooey quesadilla but need to power through four hours of Zoom meetings without the risk of needing a nap break, these savory cheese-stuffed chickpea pancakes are my salvation. The gluten-free, protein-packed batter (just chickpea flour, water, oil, and salt!) is a blank canvas for all kinds of spices—I add smoked paprika and nutritional yeast to mine and then let it hydrate for a few minutes while I write a few emails (or scroll through TikTok). I’ve filled these pancakes with just about every leftover in the fridge, from cooked greens to roasted mushrooms to marinated lentils, but melty cheese remains a constant. Why mess with perfection? —Aliza Ararbanel, former Healthyish assistant editor
Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou7/13Multiple Schedules, One Dish
Lunch tends to be the trickiest meal of the day as it needs to be flexible enough to cater to my family’s five different lunch breaks. I’ve learned to lean heavily into quick meals made from pantry staples; dishes that can easily be fortified with vegetables earn extra points. These nutritious and satisfying noodles feature two things we always have in the pantry: peanut butter and some kind of dried noodle. Because this dish is just as good cold, family members can toss together their own bowl whenever they catch a break from school or work. —Hetty McKinnon, cookbook author, ‘To Asia, With Love: Everyday Asian Recipes and Stories From the Heart’
Illustration by Cleofus8/13Master 10-Minute Meals
For those days of nonstop meetings and endless responsibilities, learning how to turn a few ingredients into an afternoon’s worth of sustenance is an essential skill. For a few suggestions, start with these combos before swapping in whatever you have on hand.
The Power Snack: Tinned fish + Mustard + Crackers
From the Freezer: Frozen dumplings + Chile crisp + Side of steamed broccoli
Almost a Pizza Bagel: English muffin + Jarred marinara + Torn mozzarella + Fresh basil
Oats Gone Savory: Oatmeal + Soy sauce + Butter + Chopped scallions
Faster than Pasta: Cooked ramen noodles + Sautéed greens + Chili oil
Dressed-up Beans: Tostada + Heated smashed black beans + Avocado + Sliced red onion
Photo by Laura Murray10/13Give Your Condiments an Upgrade
Lime Leaf Sambal
When there’s no time to make a sauce, I dab the rim of my grain bowl with Auria’s Malaysian Kitchen Lime Leaf Sambal and brace for impact. Fiery and floral, a tiny amount electrifies every forkful. ($12 at snukfoods.com) —A.A.Garlic Achaar
A small spoon of Brooklyn Delhi’s spicy-sweet Roasted Garlic Achaar ($11; amazon.com) punches up leftover dal, frittatas, or stir-fries and keeps flavor monotony away. —Sonia Chopra, executive editorSesame Dressing
Kewpie Deep-Roasted Sesame Dressing ($7; kewpieshop.com) is the nectar of the umami gods. It perks up leftover lentils and has replaced ranch for all my raw veg needs. —Elyse Inamine, digital restaurant editorChili Fig Spread
A smear of Divina Chili Fig Spread ($5; thrivemarket.com) adds depth to just about any veg, meat, or carb sandwich, but I’m convinced that cream cheese is its truest friend. —Hilary Cadigan, culture editor
Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou11/13Embrace Messy Toasts
My lunch options are no longer limited to the kinds of tidy meals that won’t leave crumbs and splatters on my keyboard (or face) as I eat at my desk surrounded by coworkers. With this new freedom I’ve been eating a lot of messy toasts like this broccoli cheddar melt, not caring if bits of cheese fall onto the table or if olive oil gets all over my fingers. —Emma Wartzman, writer
Illustration by Cleofus12/13Save Your Chip Bag
I’d like to champion a very special but often overlooked ingredient: the bits at the bottom of a bag of chips. My lunch often consists of leftovers like rice and lentils or quinoa and beans. To give it a little crunch and add a twist to the flavor, I look in the cupboard for the bag of chips that I have finished but saved expressly for these moments and sprinkle the crumbs over my dish. I usually have jalapeño chips, which have spice and saltiness that liven up a reheated entrée. So save those chip crumbs! In turn they can save your lunch. —Hrishikesh Hirway, host, Home Cooking podcast & ‘Song Exploder’ podcast/TV show
Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Susie Theodorou13/13Make Lunch for Someone Else
Most days now, I make lunch at home for my boyfriend and me. No matter what I cook, whether it’s a dish I’m experimenting with or this pantry tuna salad bulked up with crispy chickpeas, I can feel his gratitude. When the focus isn’t just on your own nourishment but someone else’s, that can be very satisfying. —Andy Baraghani, senior food editor
