20 Quick & Easy Lunches for Winter 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 19, 2025 Close Your lunch break is about to get a lot better, thanks to these tasty lunches! These quick and easy lunch recipes take less than 10 minutes to prepare, so they’re perfect for throwing together when you’re pressed for time. Plus, they’re packed with winter produce like leafy greens, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. Spruce up your menu with options like our Mashed Chickpea Salad with Dill & Capers or our Hearty Tomato Soup with Beans & Greens for a nourishing lunch that comes together in no time. Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, your new, free recipe box for EatingWell. 01 of 20 Lemon-Dill Tuna Salad Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower This lemon-dill tuna salad packs plenty of protein and gets a boost of flavor from sumac—a spice used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and North African cooking that adds a citrusy touch, enhancing the lemon flavor without overshadowing the other ingredients. View Recipe Save 02 of 20 Mashed Chickpea Salad with Dill & Capers This creamy yet light vegan salad is full of bright, herby goodness. On its own, it’s great to serve alongside a sandwich or veggie burger in place of potato salad or coleslaw. You can also make it into a light lunch by adding a handful of arugula to enjoy it as a green salad. View Recipe Save 03 of 20 Hearty Tomato Soup with Beans & Greens Garlicky kale and creamy white beans elevate simple canned tomato soup into a 10-minute lunch or dinner that really satisfies. Use a soup with tomato pieces for a heartier texture. View Recipe Save 04 of 20 Chicken Salad Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster This herbaceous chicken salad recipe is perfect sandwiched between two slices of whole-wheat country bread, but don’t stop there! Enjoy it with crackers, in a wrap or serve it on top of greens. View Recipe Save 05 of 20 Mascarpone & Berries Toast Creamy mascarpone is delightful when topped with mixed berries and mint for this bright-tasting, easy and healthy toast. View Recipe Save 06 of 20 Brussels Sprouts Salad with Crunchy Chickpeas This healthy high-fiber salad uses preshredded Brussels sprouts from the produce department and store-bought roasted chickpeas. Look for roasted chickpea snacks with the healthy snacks or nuts at your grocery store. View Recipe Save 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. View Recipe Save 08 of 20 Veggie & Hummus Sandwich Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey This mile-high sandwich makes the perfect heart-healthy vegetarian lunch to go. Mix it up with different flavors of hummus and different types of vegetables, depending on your mood. View Recipe Save 09 of 20 Buffalo Chickpea Salad Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly We took all the flavors you know and love from Buffalo wings and used them in this plant-based chickpea salad. Celery adds a satisfying crunch, while blue cheese provides a cooling element to balance the spicy sauce. View Recipe Save 10 of 20 Green Goddess Tuna Salad Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco Canned tuna makes this recipe convenient and pantry-friendly while also offering an impressive punch of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Serve on bread or in a wrap, over a bed of greens or scooped up with your favorite chips, crackers or cucumber slices. View Recipe Save 11 of 20 Chicken & Cabbage Bowls with Sesame Dressing Photographer: Rachel Marek, Prop stylist: Holly Dreesman, Food stylist: Gabriel Greco Four convenience products are all you need to prepare these tasty bowls. A bag of shredded coleslaw serves as the base that’s topped with seasoned chicken strips, crunchy flavored almonds and a drizzle of sesame dressing. View Recipe Save 12 of 20 Apple & Peanut Butter Toast A pinch of ground cardamom punches up the flavor in this classic combo of apples and peanut butter on toast. View Recipe Save 13 of 20 3-Ingredient Creamy Rotisserie Chicken Salad Carolyn Hodges We put a flavor twist on the classic chicken salad by using a lemon-herb mayonnaise. Try other mayo varieties, like roasted garlic or chipotle lime, in this fast, no-cook lunch recipe. Serve this rotisserie chicken salad recipe with whole-grain crackers. View Recipe Save 14 of 20 Chopped Salad with Sriracha Tofu & Peanut Dressing You can dress these tasty salad bowls up to 24 hours before serving to allow the flavors to marry. The spicy Sriracha tofu is balanced by the nutty dressing and hearty mix for a flavorful meal. View Recipe Save 15 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. A few wedges of warm pita finish off the meal perfectly. View Recipe Save 16 of 20 Chopped Chicken & Sweet Potato Salad This easy salad allows for a wonderful use of leftover cooked chicken. Look for escarole in the produce section near the leafy greens; if you can’t find it, you can use romaine instead. View Recipe Save 17 of 20 Cucumber & Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Wrap Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Skyler Myers, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco Roasted red pepper hummus adds color and a little extra flavor to this easy wrap, but any flavor hummus will work well here. Cucumber, sprouts, salad greens or spinach all add a refreshing crunch. For a peppery kick, try using arugula. View Recipe Save 18 of 20 Mixed Greens with Lentils & Sliced Apple This salad is a satisfying vegetarian entree to whip together for lunch. To save time, swap in drained canned lentils—just make sure to look for low-sodium and give them a rinse before adding them to the salad. View Recipe Save 19 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. View Recipe Save 20 of 20 Vegetarian Niçoise Salad This vegetarian take on a traditional Niçoise salad omits the fish and piles on plenty of vegetables. View Recipe Save Explore more: Healthy Recipes Cooking Methods Quick & Easy Quick Lunch Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit