18 3-Step Summer Lunches To Make Forever
Three is a magic number – and it’s how many steps it takes to make these delicious lunches! These tasty dishes are packed with flavorful summer produce and have stolen the hearts of our readers, earning at least 4-star reviews. Add options like our Green Goddess Grain Bowl and Walnut Pesto Pasta Salad to your weekly lunch rotation for a simple and refreshing summer meal!
Cucumber Sandwich
Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell
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 hold everything together.
Green Goddess Grain Bowl
This healthy grain bowl packs in the greens with peas, asparagus and a creamy yogurt dressing. Tofu adds protein while keeping it vegetarian, but you could also swap in cooked shrimp or chicken for a satisfying dinner or packable lunch ready in just 15 minutes.
Walnut Pesto Pasta Salad
This cold pesto pasta salad will cool you off on a summer day. Fresh tomatoes and roasted red peppers add a pop of bright color and juiciness here, but any of your favorite pasta-salad veggies, like blanched broccoli and fresh bell peppers, would be delicious too.
Salmon Sushi Grain Bowl
Get all the delicious flavors of sushi with this quick grain bowl recipe. All you need is 15 minutes to get this healthy dinner on the table or to pack it up for lunch at work.
Tomato Bun Tuna Melt
Make a bun out of a tomato in this healthy low-carb tuna melt recipe that swaps bread for veggies. You save 23 grams of carbohydrate and get 1 veggie serving while you're at it!
Pulled Chicken & Pickled Veggie Wraps
These colorful chicken wraps are perfect for a crowd. Marinated radishes, onions, and carrots add a salty crunch-and a sneaky serving of vegetables!
Tomato, Cucumber & White-Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
This no-cook bean salad is a delicious way to use summer's best cherry or grape tomatoes and juicy cucumbers for a light dinner or lunch. Fresh basil elevates an easy vinaigrette recipe that dresses up this simple salad into something extraordinary.
Veggie Wrap with Cilantro Hummus
These healthy multi-grain wraps are filled with mixed greens, chopped cucumber, tomato and red onion, as well as feta cheese and a homemade cilantro hummus. As a time saver, the hummus can be prepared up to 3 days ahead, and chilled until you're ready to make the wraps.
Fruit, Veggie & Cheese Plate
This healthy fruit, veggie and cheese plate is easy and affordable to pull together for a fun snack-style dinner at home or can be packed up and enjoyed as an outdoor picnic.
Pistachio & Peach Toast
This breakfast is great when you have leftover ricotta cheese--plus it comes together in just 5 minutes.
No-Cook Black Bean Salad
The dressing for this vegan black bean salad gets its creaminess from blended avocado. Any mix of salad greens will work well, but try arugula if you want to give this hearty salad a peppery kick.
Chicken, Quinoa & Veggie Bowl
With a whopping 19 grams of protein, this one-dish meal will keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours.
Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing
Ali Redmond
Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic 5-ingredient lunch for one!
Classic Cobb Mason Jar Salad
Pack classic Cobb salad upside down in a mason jar for a healthy lunch that won't get soggy while sitting in the fridge all morning. Or pack it up the night before for an easy grab-and-go lunch in the morning. Choose the tangiest aged blue cheese you can find; its flavor will go a long way.
Toaster-Oven Tostadas
Would you believe us if we said you can have restaurant-style tostadas at home in just 15 minutes? It's no problem! Simply layer black beans and Cheddar onto corn tortillas and toast in the toaster oven.
Pizza Lettuce Wraps
Go light and fresh when you're craving pizza: these easy lettuce wraps have all the taste with fewer carbs and calories.
Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
This hearty vegan salad is loaded with plant-based power ingredients: chickpeas, quinoa and hummus. We love the crunch of the sunflower seeds and the unexpected flavor of roasted peppers.
Tofu Cucumber Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing
Here we toss tofu in a Sichuan-inspired peanut dressing. To make this cucumber salad recipe a meal, add rice noodles and double the dressing. Serve with an extra drizzle of sesame oil and sliced scallions.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
