We constantly talk about the benefits of breakfast and light, healthy dinners, but for some reason, we unfairly neglect lunch. Yet, this is the perfect time for your favorite dishes and treats! The body is at its peak activity, and there's no need to worry about time or calories yet. To set things right, we've found 20 quick and delicious recipes for what to cook for lunch!
1. Pumpkin Cream Soup
This soup is not only tender but also very vibrant!
You will need: 1 liter of broth, 1 kg pumpkin, 200 ml cream, 100 g butter, 1 red onion, 5 cloves garlic, pumpkin seeds, herbs, salt, and spices.
Preparation: Finely chop the red onion and garlic, sauté them in butter, then add the pumpkin cut into small cubes and cook until soft. For aroma, you can add and reduce 50 ml of brandy or rum. Add broth and spices, simmer for 7 minutes, then blend until smooth. Garnish the soup with herbs and pumpkin seeds.
2. Vichyssoise
Of course, it's best to eat onion soup when you don't have to go anywhere afterwards – but it's worth it!
You will need: 1 liter of broth, 200 ml cream, 100 g butter, 500 g potatoes, 500 g leeks, 1 onion, 50 g green onions, salt, pepper.
Preparation: Sauté leeks and onion in melted butter, and boil potatoes in broth. Blend all ingredients with cold cream and spices, then serve the vichyssoise sprinkled with chopped green onions.
3. Moroccan Tomato Soup
This delicious soup comes to us straight from sunny Morocco.
You will need: 1 liter of broth, 1 kg tomatoes, 1 red onion, 1 lemon, 20 g ginger, 2 tsp honey, cilantro and parsley, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Preparation: Chop the onion, sauté it with ginger, cinnamon, and cumin, then add the tomatoes. After 5 minutes, add broth, honey, herbs, and spices, bring to a boil and then simmer for a couple more minutes, stirring. Chill the soup over ice and serve with a spoonful of lemon juice and herbs.
4. Lentil Soup with Mint
A classic Turkish dish that can be prepared for lunch – very hearty, fresh, and aromatic.
You will need: 150 g lentils, 1 carrot, 1 onion, half a lemon, 1 tbsp butter, flour, 50 ml heavy cream, mint, salt, and pepper.
Preparation: Pour rinsed lentils into cold water and bring to a boil. Grate carrot and onion, sauté them in a mixture of vegetable and butter until golden. Add a spoonful of flour, sauté for another 2 minutes, add to the lentils, season and stir. Pour in cream, blend the soup until smooth, and serve with fresh mint.
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5. Eggplant Cream Soup
The basic recipe can be enhanced with herbs, smoked meats, oriental spices, or by grilling the eggplants.
You will need: 500 ml broth, 600 g eggplants, 2 cloves garlic, 1 onion, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, thyme, spices.
Preparation: Peel the eggplants, slice them into half-rings, finely chop the onion and garlic. Sauté the eggplants with thyme and balsamic vinegar over medium heat. Separately sauté the onion with garlic, add the eggplants, pour in the broth, and cook for 20 minutes after boiling, then blend until smooth.
6. Cheese Soup
A family lunch favorite and that very soup that was served in university cafeterias!
You will need: 600 g potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 2 processed cheese blocks, salt, pepper, herbs.
Preparation: Boil potatoes in 1.5 liters of water, and in the meantime, sauté chopped carrot and onion for 5-7 minutes. Add the vegetables and grated or diced processed cheese to the potatoes. Cook until the cheese melts, season with salt and pepper, and add herbs.
7. Tom Yum Goong
If you're a fan of Thai cuisine, you probably have the ingredients for its most famous soup!
You will need: 1 liter of broth, 250 g shrimp, 100 ml coconut milk, 100 g mushrooms, 2 tbsp tom yum paste, 1 lemon, half a chili pepper, 0.5 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, a pinch of ginger, lemongrass, cilantro.
Preparation: Simmer broth with chopped ginger and lemongrass for 5 minutes, add tom yum paste, and simmer for another 2 minutes. Add sugar and fish sauce, and after a minute – the rest of the ingredients. Bring the soup to a boil, pour in lemon juice, add herbs, bring to a boil again, and remove from heat.
8. Canned Fish Soup
A quick and unexpected solution – and a hearty, complete lunch is ready in just half an hour!
You will need: 400 g potatoes, 1 can of pink salmon, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 70 g millet (or other grain), salt, pepper, herbs.
Preparation: Sauté finely chopped carrot and onion until soft, add 2 liters of water and diced potatoes. Bring to a boil, add rinsed millet and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove bones from the fish, break it into small pieces, add to the soup, season, and cook for another 15 minutes.
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9. Porcini Mushroom Soup
Dried porcini mushrooms are an invaluable find for a simple and delicious lunch!
You will need: 150 g mushrooms, 100 g noodles, 3 potatoes, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 50 g butter, salt, pepper.
Preparation: Boil a liter of water, add mushrooms, and in the meantime, sauté chopped onion and carrot in butter. Add the mushrooms to the vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes, while boiling potatoes in the mushroom water. If there's not enough liquid, add more water or broth. Transfer the vegetables to the soup, add noodles, season, and cook for another 5-7 minutes.
10. Potato Salad with Tuna
Who said lunch must always be soup?
You will need: 500 g potatoes, 150 g canned tuna, 2 eggs, 1.5 tbsp wine vinegar, 3 tbsp vegetable oil, salt, pepper, green onions, parsley.
Preparation: Boil potatoes and eggs, cut them into slices or cubes of roughly the same size. Break the tuna into smaller pieces, finely chop the herbs, and mix the ingredients. Prepare a dressing from oil, wine vinegar, and spices.
11. Chinese Chicken Salad
This light dish turns out very vibrant and beautiful, so it will delight even a child!
You will need: 200 g chicken fillet, 500 g Napa cabbage, half a red and green bell pepper, half a carrot, red and green onion, cilantro, garlic, ginger, 2 tbsp flour, soy sauce.
Preparation: Dredge the finely chopped chicken in flour, soy sauce, and a spoonful of oil, then fry and blot excess fat with a paper towel. Cut all vegetables into roughly equal julienne strips, place the chicken on top, and if desired, sprinkle with herbs, nuts, or sesame seeds. Prepare a dressing from soy sauce and vegetable oil with spices.
12. Salad with Fried Tomatoes
You can prepare it for lunch and eat it on its own or serve it as an accompaniment to meat!
You will need: 400 g cherry tomatoes, 100 g salad greens, 200 ml yogurt, 55 ml olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper.
Preparation: Slice tomatoes into fairly thick rounds, about a centimeter, and fry in olive oil. Mix yogurt with oil, crushed garlic, and spices. Dress the salad greens with the mixture and arrange the tomatoes on top.
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13. Classic Greek Salad
For a non-classic interpretation, you can substitute feta with another favorite cream cheese with a distinct flavor!
You will need: 2 tomatoes, 1 green bell pepper, 2 cucumbers, 1 red onion, 300 g feta, 10 olives, salt, oregano, olive oil.
Preparation: Wash and clean the vegetables, cut them into large pieces, and mix well. Add olives and arrange large rectangular slices of feta on top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and oregano.
14. Red Bean Salad
A very hearty protein-rich lunch for those who watch their diet!
You will need: 400 g canned red beans, 200 g cream cheese, 100 g arugula, half a red onion, 1 lemon, 2 cloves garlic, pepper and salt, olive oil.
Preparation: Drain the liquid from the beans, rinse them with cold water, and mix with chopped onion, arugula, garlic, and olive oil. Top with cream cheese, drizzle with lemon juice, season, and let the salad sit for 5 minutes.
15. Bruschetta with Tomatoes
If you want a light and quick snack for lunch, bruschetta is your option!
You will need: 4 slices of baguette, 3 tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, herbs, salt, pepper.
Preparation: Toast the baguette in a dry pan or slightly dry it in the oven. Quickly sauté chopped garlic and diced tomatoes in hot olive oil. Drizzle the bread with the same oil, place the tomatoes on top, season, and sprinkle with herbs.
16. Spring Rolls
This light summer snack is very convenient to take to work or on a picnic!
You will need: 4 sheets of rice paper, 100 g shrimp, half a carrot and cucumber, 50 g rice noodles, a few lettuce leaves, cilantro, mint, bean sprouts, a clove of garlic, 10 tbsp sugar, 5 tbsp water, 1.5 tbsp fish sauce and rice vinegar.
Preparation: In heated vegetable oil, add chopped garlic, then add vinegar, sugar, water, and fish sauce. Heat until the sugar dissolves, then cool the dressing. Cook rice noodles and shrimp, cut vegetables into julienne strips, finely chop herbs. Moisten a sheet of rice paper with cold water, arrange the ingredients, and roll them up.
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17. Ratatouille
This traditional French dish is an ideal and quick recipe for what to cook for lunch!
You will need: 2 eggplants, 2 sweet bell peppers of different colors, 1 onion, 2 tomatoes, 2 cloves garlic, olive oil, 0.5 tsp tomato paste, a pinch of sugar, spices, olive oil.
Preparation: Dice all vegetables into small cubes, let the eggplants sit for a bit. Separately sauté onion, eggplants, and bell peppers, then sauté garlic, add tomato paste with sugar and tomatoes. After a minute, add the rest of the vegetables, spices, and herbs, and after another minute – remove from heat.
18. Chicken Liver in Sour Cream
This simple and familiar dish can be served for lunch with any side dish!
You will need: 600 g chicken liver, 500 g sour cream, 1 onion, 20 g butter, salt, and pepper.
Preparation: Rinse, trim, and cut the liver into pieces; if desired, soak in milk for 20 minutes. Sauté chopped onion, add liver and fry for another 7 minutes. Season, pour in sour cream, and simmer for 10 minutes.
19. Cod with Tomatoes
Surprisingly, delicious and juicy fish for lunch can be prepared in just 15 minutes!
You will need: 600 g cod fillet, 1 lemon, 10 cherry tomatoes, 3 tbsp olive oil, parsley, salt, pepper.
Preparation: Rinse the cod, season with salt and pepper on both sides, place in a baking sleeve. Add halved tomatoes, chopped parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius.
20. Chicken Leg with Rosemary
This recipe is a simple and "lazy" variation of chicken tabaka: not too quick, but very easy and delicious!
You will need: 2 chicken drumsticks, 2 tbsp flour, 1.5 tbsp olive oil, 5 tbsp white wine, 2 sprigs rosemary, bay leaf, lemon juice, pepper, coarse salt.
Preparation: Rub the drumsticks with skin with salt and pepper, dredge in flour, and fry for 10 minutes on medium heat on both sides. Pour in wine, add rosemary, bay leaf, and reduce the liquid by half. Add 1.5 cups of water, bring to a boil, cover, and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes at 220 degrees Celsius.