Healthy Lunch Recipes

Quickly pickled sliced cucumbers and red onion make a cooling side salad for lamb burgers or fried fish.

Recipe adapted from "Food From Many Greek Kitchens," by Tessa Kiros. Copyright 2011 by Tessa Kiros. Used with permission of Andrews McMeel Publishing.

This delicious vegetable, which you may see labeled as baby broccoli, broccolini, or asparation, is a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale. It has a slightly milder, sweeter taste than broccoli and a more tender texture.

On a hot day, use your blender to whip up a refreshing cold gazpacho, a soup from a ripe tomato, cucumber, and bell pepper.

The variety of seeds and the kale make this a distinctive twist on coleslaw.

Tender broccoli rabe adds a welcome pop of green (and a generous dose of fiber!) to this lentil-and-tomato soup spiced with coriander and cumin.

If you need to get dinner on the table fast but you're tight on time, you can make this restorative, immunity-boosting soup with store-bought broth and rotisserie chicken.

The sweetness of the lobster and tomatoes is balanced by a light but flavorful lemon-orange dressing. Tarragon adds a fresh zing.

Spring rolls, made with moistened rice paper wrappers, are surprisingly easy to assemble -- and are ideal for a buffet or light lunch. The filling for these rolls contains fresh asparagus, mushrooms, fiery wasabi, and healthy miso paste and walnut oil.

Get your dose of healthy oils with this lemony sardine mix over lettuce.

Vibrant, bold flavors await in this healthier pasta dish inspired by the unmistakable tastes of the Mediterranean.

No one will miss the meat in this satisfying stew (it's also vegan!). It starts with a roux and the holy trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper, then calls for both fresh ingredients (okra and yellow squash) and canned (tomatoes and black-eyed peas).

These fresh green beans help balance out the richness of the rest of the Thanksgiving meal.

This raw kale salad wins over even the most skeptical hearty-green newbies. It gets better after a night in the fridge.

Sweet peaches and piquant red onion come together to make a savory fruit salad.

Serving sweet corn with a flavored butter, like this one with zest and herbs, makes it even more delectable.

Scallions, parsley, and pine nuts dot this nutritious salad.

This ratatouille is a great make-ahead option for summer entertaining, as the flavor benefits from some time to develop. It can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to three days. It's delicious hot or at room temperature. Recipe courtesy of Clare Vivier.

The main ingredient in this good-for-you savory porridge is yellow mung dal, split mung beans that break down and thicken as they cook.

Try our creamy, not-too-heavy rendition of an American lunch standby.

Instead of sugar pumpkins, you can use other winter squash in our Roasted Pumpkin Soup recipe. Kabocha, calabaza, and Hubbard are the best alternatives. Choose a squash that feels heavy for its size and is free of soft spots. The soup can be garnished with toasted pepitas or a dollop of sour cream—or both.

Mint leaves add color and flavor to this simple summer salad of corn and scallions.

No cream here! A butter-and-flour roux is the secret to this lush, velvety tomato soup. Gild with fresh basil, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of your best olive oil. Serve alongside our Test Kitchen's Favorite Grilled Cheese for the ultimate comforting meal.

This chicken soup is loaded with kale, zucchini, chickpeas and carrots for a hearty meal.