20 Cheap and Quick Lunch Recipes
Source: JoannaTkaczuk, AdobeStockSome people skip breakfast, some try not to eat at night, but one meal you definitely can't skip is lunch. That's why this time we want to share with you a selection of 20 cheap, simple, and quick recipes for every day. All of them have been repeatedly tested in practice!
1. Pour-over Cabbage Pie
Source: drive2.ruTo make it even heartier, we suggest adding canned fish.
You will need: 500 g cabbage, 1 can of canned fish, 2 eggs, 2 cups kefir, 1 cup flour, 0.5 tsp baking soda, spices.
Preparation: Finely shred the cabbage and lightly fry until golden. Mash the canned fish with a fork and mix with the cabbage. Combine eggs, salt, kefir, and baking soda with flour. Pour half of the batter into a mold, spread the cabbage, and pour the remaining batter over it. Bake the pie in the oven for 35-40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Chicken Soup with Egg
Source: pinterest.comThe simplest homemade soup for all occasions. Egg acts as both a thickener and an additional cheap source of protein.
You will need: 300 g chicken, 3 potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 egg, spices, herbs.
Preparation: Boil the chicken until cooked, add finely chopped vegetables and cook for another 20 minutes. Whisk the egg with chopped herbs and spices. Pour it into the soup in a thin stream, stirring constantly, and cook for another minute.
3. Chicken with Vegetables in a Roasting Bag
Source: kartinkin.netThe advantage is that any, even the cheapest, frozen vegetable mix will work here.
You will need: 300 g chicken fillet, 100 g carrots, 50 g onions, 100 g bell peppers, 100 g green beans, 100 g cauliflower, 100 g Brussels sprouts, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp soy sauce, spices.
Preparation: Cut the chicken and all vegetables arbitrarily and place them in a roasting bag. Add oil, spices, and soy sauce, mix, tie the bag, and cook the dish in the oven for 35 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius.
4. Quick Beef Soup
Source: recept-borscha.ruBeef, like any red meat, takes a long time to cook. But we want to share a proven life hack!
You will need: 400 g beef, 3 potatoes, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 1 bell pepper, 1 celery stalk, spices.
Preparation: Finely chop the beef and fry in a pan for about 5 minutes. Add chopped onion and carrot, and fry for another couple of minutes. Add the remaining vegetables, cover with water, and cook until the potatoes are tender. Season to taste at the end.
20 Healthy Lunch Recipes
5. Salad with Canned Beans and Tuna
Source: yurga72.ruCanned goods are great because they are cheap and have a long shelf life. Moreover, you can make many more interesting dishes with them than it seems.
You will need: 300 g canned beans, 200 g corn, 1 can tuna, 2-3 bell peppers, 1 red onion, spices, olive oil, 1 tsp vinegar.
Preparation: Roughly chop the onion and bell pepper, rinse the beans, drain the liquid from the corn, and mash the tuna with a fork. Mix everything together and dress the salad with vinegar, oil, and spices.
6. Tomato Soup
Source: julia-din.ruTomato soups are not very popular in our latitudes, and completely in vain, because they turn out very aromatic and tasty.
You will need: 1.5 l water or broth, 1 onion, 2 chilies, 8 bell peppers, 8 tomatoes, spices.
Preparation: Chop the onion and chili, and fry for 5 minutes, stirring. Add chopped bell pepper, and after another 5 minutes, add diced peeled tomatoes. Cook everything together until soft, season, add water or broth, and simmer for another 15 minutes after boiling.
7. Chicken Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Source: chapchap.suBoil pasta, rice, or another grain to go with them – and you'll have a complete, yet cheap, lunch.
You will need: 1 chicken fillet, 0.5 onion, 4 sprigs of herbs, spices, 120 g canned tomatoes in their own juice.
Preparation: Pass the chicken and onion through a meat grinder. Add spices and chopped herbs to the minced meat, and roll small meatballs with wet hands. Fry them in a pan until golden, add tomatoes, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
8. Soup with Rice and Green Peas
Source: tipsforfoodbloggers.comWe recommend using frozen peas – inexpensive and healthy. Any rice will do.
You will need: 1.5 l water or broth, 1 onion, 100 g rice, 150 g green peas, spices.
Preparation: Chop the onion and fry until soft. Add spices and rice, mix, pour in water, and bring to a boil. Cook the soup over low heat until the rice is done. Add green peas and spices, cook for another couple of minutes, and remove from heat.
Healthy Lunch: 20 Simple and Delicious Recipes for Every Day
9. Carrot Salad with Honey
Source: zen.yandex.ruAn interesting vitamin-rich lunch for those looking for variety among familiar products.
You will need: 450 g carrots, 5 sprigs of herbs, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 0.5 tsp honey, 0.5 tsp mustard.
Preparation: Grate the carrots on a Korean or regular grater and mix with chopped herbs. Mix the remaining ingredients for the dressing and pour it over the carrot salad.
10. Creamy Potato Soup
Source: medaboutme.ruFor color, you can add a little turmeric to the soup, and for aroma – cumin and smoked paprika.
You will need: 800 g potatoes, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 zucchini, spices.
Preparation: Roughly chop the onion and lightly fry. Add roughly chopped carrots and fry for another couple of minutes. Add the zucchini there, and simmer for 5 minutes. At the very end, add potatoes, cover the soup with water, season, and cook until the potatoes are tender. Blend everything with an immersion blender.
11. Stewed Fish with Vegetables
Source: shashlik54.ruTilapia, pollock, hake, or other inexpensive white fish fillets are perfect here.
You will need: 400 g fish fillet, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 tbsp tomato paste, spices.
Preparation: Grate the carrot, chop the onion, and fry them together until soft. Mix the vegetables with tomato paste and spices. Place the fish on top, gently mix, and add a little water. Simmer everything under a lid for 10-15 minutes.
12. Potato Cutlets
Source: rnv-lady.ruCutlets are made from all sorts of vegetables. This time, we suggest using cheap and readily available potatoes, which you're sure to have on hand.
You will need: 500 g potatoes, 6 eggs, 1 onion, 1 bunch of herbs, 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 80 g breadcrumbs, spices.
Preparation: Boil potatoes until cooked and mash them into a puree. Finely chop the onion and fry until golden. Boil 5 eggs and grate them, and simply chop the green onion. Mix all ingredients, season, add mayonnaise and a raw egg. Form cutlets, roll them in breadcrumbs, and fry.
What to Cook for Lunch Quickly and Deliciously: 20 Recipes
13. Pasta with Chicken and Tomatoes
Source: povarotboba.ruThe main advantage of this pasta is that it cooks very quickly. So it's a great lunch for the whole family if you're short on time!
You will need: 400 g pasta, 1 chicken fillet, 1 onion, 3 tomatoes, 1 bunch parsley, spices.
Preparation: Cook pasta until al dente. Finely chop the chicken and fry for about 7 minutes, stirring. Add the onion and fry for another 5 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and spices, and after another 5 minutes, add pasta and herbs. Mix the pasta and remove from heat.
14. Chicken Noodle Soup
Source: recept-borscha.ruA simple and delicious lunch without complex ingredients! Thanks to both noodles and potatoes, it's very hearty.
You will need: 400 g chicken, 70 g noodles, 150 g potatoes, 60 g onions, 100 g carrots, 2 boiled eggs, 50 g bell pepper, spices.
Preparation: Cover the chicken with water and boil until cooked. Chop and fry the onion, carrot, and bell pepper for about 7 minutes. Dice the potatoes and add them to the broth. When they are almost done, add the fried vegetables and noodles. Cook until the noodles are done. At the very end, add spices and diced boiled eggs.
15. Potato Casserole
Source: vreticule.comTo quickly prepare such a hearty and budget-friendly lunch, boil the potatoes in their skins in advance.
You will need: 700 g potatoes, 200 g sour cream, 2 eggs, 2 cloves garlic, spices.
Preparation: Whisk sour cream with eggs, spices, and crushed garlic. Boil the potatoes, slice them thinly, and arrange them in a baking dish. Pour the sour cream mixture over them and bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.
16. Baked Mackerel
Source: m.ok.ruMackerel is a very fatty fish, but these are healthy fats, essential for our body. And it's also quite inexpensive!
You will need: 4 mackerel fillets, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, spices.
Preparation: Grate the carrot, chop the onion, and fry them together until soft. Spread mayonnaise on the mackerel fillets, sprinkle with spices, and place the vegetables on top. Bake the fish for about 15-20 minutes in the oven at 190 degrees Celsius.
What to Cook for a Child's Lunch: 20 Delicious and Healthy Recipes
17. Cream of Mushroom Soup
Source: fb.ruCream soups are always very simple to prepare. By analogy, you can use other vegetables instead of mushrooms.
You will need: 300 g potatoes, 400 g mushrooms, 100 ml cream, spices, broth, 1 onion.
Preparation: Arbitrarily chop the onion and mushrooms, and fry until the liquid evaporates. Boil potatoes in broth. Combine everything, blend with an immersion blender, add cream and spices, and bring the soup to a boil again.
18. Zucchini in Sour Cream
Source: yankelevitch.ruQuick, cheap, healthy, and low-calorie – all this describes zucchini in sour cream, stewed in a pan!
You will need: 700 g zucchini, 200 g sour cream, 1 tsp Italian herbs, 1 tsp spices, 2 cloves garlic.
Preparation: Roughly chop the zucchini and fry, stirring, for 5-7 minutes. Mix sour cream with garlic and spices, pour over the zucchini, and simmer everything together for another 7 minutes.
19. Onion Soup
Source: poleznii-site.ruWhat could be more accessible than onions at any time of year, regardless of your location? And you can make an excellent soup from them!
You will need: 1.5 l broth, 1.5 kg onions, 100 ml wine vinegar, 2 tbsp flour, 70 g butter, 100 g cheese, spices, 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil.
Preparation: Roughly chop the onion and fry it over low heat in a mixture of the two oils until golden, about 25 minutes. Add vinegar with flour, and mix. Pour in the broth, add spices, and cook the soup for another 10 minutes. Add grated cheese and cook the soup a little longer until it dissolves.
20. Soup with Canned Fish
Source: lobsterhouse.ruSaira in oil, or something similar, works best here. Very simple and hearty!
You will need: 1 can of canned fish, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 bell pepper, 3 potatoes.
Preparation: Chop the onion, carrot, and bell pepper, and fry until soft. Dice the potatoes, cover with water, and boil until soft. Add the fried vegetables and canned fish to the soup, and cook until the potatoes are completely done.
Share