21 Easy Hot Lunches To Pack for Work By Camryn Alexa Wimberly Camryn Alexa Wimberly Camryn Wimberly is EatingWell's Editorial Fellow. As a food and mental health blogger, Camryn explores how food and cooking can help improve mental health and also be an avenue to connect with one's culture and heritage. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on February 17, 2025 Close Credit: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower If you’re looking to switch up your lunch routine, these recipes are calling your name! These hot lunch recipes will warm you up and keep you satisfied, a welcome option during wintery weather. Dishes like our Garlicky Cabbage Soup and our Roasted Broccoli & Kimchi Rice Bowl are delicious and flavorful offerings that are perfect for work days. Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, your new, free recipe box for EatingWell. 01 of 21 Garlicky Cabbage Soup Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley This garlicky cabbage soup is pure comfort in a bowl. Warm, hearty and nourishing, it’s rich with the aromatic flavor of garlic and tender-sweet cabbage. Packed with veggies and a savory broth, this soup is perfect as a light meal on its own or as a starter. View Recipe Save 02 of 21 Cauliflower Spanakopita Melt Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower This cauliflower melt blends the flavors of the Greek spinach pie, spanakopita, into the hand-held comfort and convenience of a grilled cheese sandwich. Chopped roasted cauliflower brings a healthy, veggie-packed twist. View Recipe Save 03 of 21 Roasted Broccoli & Kimchi Rice Bowl Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Christina Brockman This well-rounded rice bowl is packed with kimchi and yogurt to support a healthy gut. Edamame adds fiber while garlic and gochugaru give this dish plenty of flavor. View Recipe Save 04 of 21 Marry Me Chickpea Soup with Kale Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley This creamy chickpea soup was inspired by Marry Me Chicken, a dish that features chicken and sun-dried tomatoes. We gave this dish a plant-based spin by swapping out the chicken for chickpeas and kale to create a cozy, warming meal perfect for cooler weather. View Recipe Save 05 of 21 Chickpea & Sweet Potato Grain Bowls Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman This nutrient-dense bowl is packed with fiber rich chickpeas and sweet potatoes. A base of sorghum, a gluten-free ancient grain, adds heartiness and a tangy yogurt-based drizzle offers a probiotic boost. View Recipe Save 06 of 21 Creamy Tortellini Vegetable Soup Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell This veggie-packed soup is easy to prepare, ideal for those busy nights when you want a delicious, homemade dinner without spending hours in the kitchen. Just pair it with some crusty bread and a side salad, and you’ve got a warm, comforting dinner the whole family will love! View Recipe Save 07 of 21 Kale & Chickpea Grain Bowls Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster This veggie-heavy bowl is loaded with crunch and color, thanks to crispy carrots and chickpeas, fresh kale and a vibrant avocado dressing. Bulgur, also called cracked wheat, is a quick-cooking whole grain that works well here. View Recipe Save 08 of 21 Sheet-Pan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower Roasting the vegetables in the oven before blending them intensifies their flavors, resulting in a deeply rich and flavorful soup. We love the sweet and nutty flavor of butternut squash, but any winter squash with a similar texture will work well. View Recipe Save 09 of 21 Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood This rich and creamy butternut squash mac and cheese has hints of roasted squash whirled into a cheesy sauce flavored with fresh sage for a delicious plant-based meal any day of the week. View Recipe Save 10 of 21 Grilled Vegetable & Black Bean Farro Bowls Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster These bowls are filled with all the hearty goodness of a black bean and veggie burrito, minus the tortilla. Nutty, chewy farro takes the place of rice, and the veggies are grilled with a zesty lime vinaigrette. View Recipe Save 11 of 21 Three-Bean Chili This rib-sticking bean chili is richly flavored with cumin, chili, paprika, oregano and an assortment of peppers. Use whatever beans you have in your pantry. View Recipe Save 12 of 21 French Onion Cabbage Soup Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood, Food Stylist: Sally McKay This French onion cabbage soup is a creative twist on the classic, bringing a new level of comfort to this warming soup. This version swaps out some of the onion for caramelized cabbage. The savory broth, infused with sweet onions and topped with cheesy croutons, remains just as satisfying, but with a veggie-packed twist. View Recipe Save 13 of 21 Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Taco Bowls Ali Redmond A bold, smoky marinade elevates roasted cauliflower in this meal-prep version of our popular Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos. Precut cauliflower and microwavable quinoa can help cut down on prep time. View Recipe Save 14 of 21 Eat-the-Rainbow Vegetable Soup Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall , Prop Stylist: Shell Royster This vibrant and wholesome soup helps support your well-being. It’s packed with a variety of colorful vegetables, like tomatoes, which contain lycopene, a phytochemical that may help reduce inflammation. View Recipe Save 15 of 21 Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic five-ingredient lunch for one! View Recipe Save 16 of 21 Crispy Salmon Rice Bowl Ali Redmond Crunch cucumber and creamy avocado add texture to this rice bowl. Tender pieces of salmon get a sweet and crispy coating thanks to sweet and savory teriyaki glaze. View Recipe Save 17 of 21 Roasted Vegetable Soup Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman This roasted vegetable soup uses a diverse and delicious array of vegetables, supporting gut health with prebiotic ingredients like sweet potato, leeks and chickpeas, plus you get a probiotic boost from white miso. View Recipe Save 18 of 21 Chicken Pesto Panini In this panini recipe, the extra-thin bread gets nice and crispy, the mozzarella melts beautifully and the arugula adds a fresh and peppery note to complement the pesto. It's a delicious and easy panini to throw together! View Recipe Save 19 of 21 Bean & Veggie Taco Bowl Simple brown rice and black beans serve as the backdrop for sautéed veggies and taco toppings! View Recipe Save 20 of 21 White Bean Soup with Pasta Jacob Fox We use mirepoix—a combination of onion, celery and carrots—to flavor this white bean soup. Keep a store-bought bag of the mixture in your freezer to ensure you always have some on hand without worrying about it going bad. View Recipe Save 21 of 21 Spinach & Fried Egg Grain Bowls Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn Wheat berries, a nutty-tasting whole grain with a pleasantly chewy texture, are the base of this hearty bowl. Topped with spinach, peanuts and an egg, these bowls make for a satisfying meal. View Recipe Save Explore more: Healthy Recipes Mealtime Lunch Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit