20 10-Minute Lunch Recipes You'll Want to Make Forever

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Published on September 7, 2023

Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl

With these quick lunches, a hearty grain bowl, fresh salad, filling sandwich or delicious wrap is only 10 minutes (or less) away. Not to mention, EatingWell readers have left these dishes four- and five-star reviews to let you know just how good they are. Recipes like our Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl and Open-Face Goat Cheese Sandwich with Tomato & Avocado Salad can make lunchtime the best and tastiest time of the day.

01 of 20

Cucumber Sandwich

Cucumber Sandwich — Photographer / Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Kay Clarke, Food Stylist / Ruth Blackburn

This creamy, crunchy cucumber sandwich recipe strikes a lovely balance between decadent and light. The cream cheese-yogurt spread complements the crisp refreshing cucumber while the hearty flavor and texture of the whole-wheat bread holds everything together.

02 of 20

Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl

Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl

This black bean and quinoa bowl has many of the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the fried bowl. We've loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top.

03 of 20

Open-Face Goat Cheese Sandwich with Tomato & Avocado Salad

Open-Face goat cheese sandwich with tomato & avocado salad

This simple lunch comes together in just 10 minutes, making it a great option for busy days.

04 of 20

Roasted Veggie Mason Jar Salad

This vegan mason jar salad is easy to pack up and take for lunch. Layering the creamy cashew sauce into the bottom of the jar ensures that your big, bold power salad won't become wilted by the time you're ready to eat.

05 of 20

Cucumber Sandwich with Cotija & Lime

a recipe photo of the Cucumber Sandwich with Cotija and Lime — Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman

This easy vegetarian cucumber sandwich draws flavor inspiration from elote, the Mexican street corn dish. Instead of corn, we flavor cucumber slices with cotija cheese, lime and cilantro for a tasty filling. Cotija cheese, a salty, crumbly Mexican cheese, is similar in flavor and texture to feta cheese, which can be used as a substitute. Arugula adds a peppery flavor, but any tender greens will work well here.

06 of 20

Zucchini Noodle Salad with Chicken

Zucchini Noodle Salad with Chicken

Load up on vegetables, but not on calories, with this healthy zoodle salad. Look for zucchini noodles with other prepared vegetables in the produce section or make your own with a spiralizer.

07 of 20

Mason Jar Power Salad with Chickpeas & Tuna

This power salad will keep you fueled for hours, thanks to 26 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. Tossing the dressing and kale, and then letting it stand in the jar, softens it enough so you don't need to massage or cook it to make it tender.

08 of 20

Buffalo Chicken Grain Bowl

Get the flavors of spicy Buffalo chicken wings, without frying, in this nutritious couscous bowl loaded with protein and crisp veggies.

09 of 20

10-Minute Tuna Melt

10-Minute Tuna Melt — Joy Howard

This variation of a classic sandwich uses mayonnaise, but not where you think! Mayo is brushed on the outside of the sandwich in place of butter to make the sandwich golden and crispy as it heats in a skillet. Plain Greek yogurt takes mayo's place in the salad—along with crunchy celery, roasted red bell peppers and scallions—for a satisfying lunch with less saturated fat.

10 of 20

Cabbage, Tofu & Edamame Salad

Craving crunch? Bite into this salad loaded with crisp red cabbage, edamame, bamboo shoots, and chow mein noodles. This salad is slightly sweetened with baked tofu, mandarin oranges and sesame vinaigrette.

11 of 20

Chicken Avocado BLT Wrap

Who doesn't love a BLT? In this Mexican-inspired version, we've added chicken and avocado and wrapped it in a tortilla, making it easy to eat.

12 of 20

Chickpea & Roasted Red Pepper Lettuce Wraps with Tahini Dressing

A tangy, nutty tahini dressing brings together no-cook ingredients like canned chickpeas and roasted red peppers for these easy meal-prep lettuce wraps. Make these wraps ahead of time for a grab-and-go lunch or dinner. A few wedges of warm pita finish off the meal perfectly.

13 of 20

Easy Brown Rice & Veggie Wrap

Use leftover brown rice and roasted veggies for this easy vegan lunch idea to pack for work. To serve this wrap warm, simply pop in the microwave for about a minute to warm through.

14 of 20

Chopped Cobb Salad

This single-serving recipe for Cobb salad swaps chicken in for bacon, which makes it a great source of protein for lunch. If you prefer another salad dressing, feel free to use that instead of our honey-mustard vinaigrette.

15 of 20

Caprese Avocado Toast

Tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil—the building blocks of caprese salad--lend a creative twist to a standard avocado toast recipe.

16 of 20

Falafel Tabbouleh Bowls with Tzatziki

Meal-prepping a week's worth of lunches doesn't need to take hours in the kitchen. These Greek-inspired meal-prep bowls can be prepared in just 10 minutes and only require 4 ingredients--greens, falafel, tabbouleh and tzatziki. We love going to our local specialty grocery store for fast shortcut ingredients like these. The high-fiber falafel and tabbouleh will help to keep you feeling satisfied all afternoon.

17 of 20

Chicken, Brussels Sprouts & Mushroom Salad

Shaving the vegetables for this easy salad recipe makes them deliciously tender-crisp without having to cook anything and helps them stand up to the bright homemade vinaigrette and salty Parmesan cheese.

18 of 20

Chicken, Quinoa & Veggie Bowl

With a whopping 19 grams of protein, this one-dish meal will keeping you feeling full and satisfied for hours.

19 of 20

Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad

Avocado Tuna Spinach Salad — Greg DuPree

Avocado adds creaminess while sunflower seeds provide texture and crunch in this easy tuna-spinach salad.

20 of 20

Roasted Veggie & Quinoa Salad

Quick, simple and packed with satisfying protein and fiber, this salad makes a perfect lunch or easy one-dish dinner.

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