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Allow lunch to be just a finishing touch away from enjoyment when you prep these recipes the night before. Whether you’re hankering for a satisfying grain bowl with fresh vinaigrette or a cup of soup you can just pop in the microwave, there’s a delicious midday meal waiting for you here. These dishes happen to be some of our most popular and highly-rated make-ahead recipes on the EatingWell site, making them a guaranteed hit. Make soups like our Roasted Cauliflower & Potato Curry Soup for dinner and pack the leftovers for lunch throughout the week. And grain bowls like our Chicken, Avocado & Quinoa Bowls with Herb Dressing are sure to help you feel nourished until your next meal.
Roasted Cauliflower & Potato Curry Soup
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Maura Timmerman
In this healthy cauliflower soup recipe, roasting the cauliflower first adds depth and prevents the florets from turning to mush. A little tomato sauce and coconut milk give the broth a rich, silky texture. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, if desired.
Chickpea & Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Photographer: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Quinoa and chickpeas pack this vegetarian grain bowl with plenty of plant-based protein. Whip up a batch of these flavorful grain bowls and pack them in lidded containers to stash in the fridge for easy, healthy grab-and-go lunches all week long.
Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl
Photography: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco
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.
Chicken, Avocado & Quinoa Bowls with Herb Dressing
Arrange the toppings individually on these protein-packed grain bowls so each bite has a contrasting taste and texture. Make big batches of the salad dressing, quinoa and roasted chicken thighs and you’ll have healthy meal-prep lunches or dinners for days. Though the chicken thighs take just 15 minutes to prep, you can also make the salads with leftover chicken or store-bought cooked chicken to make prep even faster.
Stuffed Cabbage Soup
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
Like stuffed cabbage? You’ll love this easy cabbage soup. It’s got all of the classic flavors of stuffed cabbage without all the fuss of stuffing.
Spinach & Feta Turkey Meatballs with Herbed Quinoa
With a variety of flavors and textures (and a whopping 30 grams of protein!), these meal-prep bowls will keep you fueled all afternoon. The spinach and feta turkey meatballs are adapted from Turkey Burgers with Spinach, Feta & Tzatziki by Hilary Meyer. Look for premade tzatziki near the specialty cheeses and dips at your grocery store or make your own.
Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Taco Bowls
A bold, smoky marinade elevates roasted cauliflower in this meal-prep version of our popular Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos by Carolyn Malcoun. To cut down on prep time for these healthy taco bowls, look for precut cauliflower in the produce department. You can also save time by using microwaveable quinoa pouches (you’ll need one 8-ounce pouch for this recipe) instead of cooking quinoa.
Bean & Barley Soup
This hearty bean and barley soup tastes like it has simmered for hours, but actually it’s quite quick to throw together. Plus this recipe for healthy bean and barley soup freezes beautifully. If you have cooked barley on hand, omit the quick-cooking barley and stir in 1 1/2 cups cooked barley along with the broth in Step 2.
Caprese Pasta Salad
This light and fresh caprese pasta salad is brought together with a bright and tangy dressing, with fresh mozzarella pearls adding creaminess to every bite.
Chopped Salad with Chicken & Creamy Chipotle Dressing
This chopped salad with chicken is smoky and zesty thanks to the creamy chipotle dressing. Cilantro adds a pop of freshness to each bite.
Spicy Ramen Noodle Cup Soup
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
In just 15 minutes, you can make three jars of vegetarian ramen cup soup that you can bring to work or school. These cup soups are not only a time saver, but are also packed with protein from hard-boiled eggs, which will help keep you satisfied until your next meal.
Vegan Burrito Bowls with Cauliflower Rice
These meal-prep vegan burrito bowls are healthy and flavorful. Make them early in the week for grab-and-go meals when days are busy. We use frozen cauliflower rice, a low-carb substitute for white or brown rice, to cut down on prep time.
Spinach & Strawberry Meal-Prep Salad
One of our most popular salad recipes, Spinach-Strawberry Salad with Feta & Walnuts, gets a makeover in these simple yet totally satisfying meal-prep spinach salad bowls. They require minimal prep and can be customized to your taste. Swap in roasted salmon for the chicken thighs, and almonds or pecans for the walnuts, and use any fresh berry that looks good at your market.
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.
Sichuan Ramen Cup of Noodles with Cabbage & Tofu
The Sichuan province in the southwestern corner of China is known for its fiery dishes. Here, the richness of tahini tempers the spicy chile paste in this cup-of-noodles-style mason jar soup recipe. This vegan cup soup is packed with 19 grams of protein to keep you satisfied until your next meal. You can grind the Sichuan peppercorns in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, or crush them with the bottom of a heavy skillet.
Meal-Prep Turkey Cobb Salad
Cubed deli turkey takes the place of chicken, while Cheddar replaces blue cheese in this easy Cobb-inspired salad. The protein-rich turkey and cheese, plus eggs and bacon, gives the salad staying power, so you won’t get hungry an hour after you eat. Feel free to swap out the turkey for cooked chicken or chickpeas to mix things up. Serve the salad right away or pack it up in individual containers and you’ll be set for lunch for days.