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  6. 20 Cold Lunch Ideas for Easy Weekday Meals

20 Cold Lunch Ideas for Easy Weekday Meals

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By Kelly Vaughan Updated July 20, 2020
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italian hero chopped salad
Credit: Justin Walker; Prop Stylist: Carla Gonzalez-Hart

Whether you're working from home or in an office, make preparing your lunch a breeze with these simple and delicious recipes.

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italian hero chopped salad
Credit: Justin Walker; Prop Stylist: Carla Gonzalez-Hart

Whether you've been bringing the same brown bag lunch to work for weeks straight or you've been working from home and have found yourself cooking the same hum-drum meals over and over again, there's a chance your lunch routine has gotten a little stale. It doesn't matter if you're grabbing last night's leftovers or tossing together a quick salad with whatever's left in the fridge, if you're like most people, you may have fallen into something of a lunch rut. Refresh your midday meals with these fast and delicious cold lunch ideas, like the Italian Hero Chopped Salad, pictured here—you won't even need to turn on the oven!

If you have precooked chicken breasts on hand, turn them into a spectacular, flavorful chicken salad. The key to making a chicken salad that stands out from the rest is using fresh herbs, such as tarragon and basil, crunchy scallions and celery, and a touch of mayonnaise. You can serve it over crisp romaine or tuck it into a hot dog bun along with cherry tomatoes and bacon strips for a hand-held bite. Another cold lunch recipe that you can make in advance and enjoy throughout the week is our Creamy Ginger-Asparagus Soup, which happens to be vegan and gluten free. It's the perfect way to make use of spring and summer produce. Plus, it will leave you feeling nourished and energized, so that you can avoid the dreaded afternoon slump.

For kids, take their favorite lunch sandwich—a PB & J—to the next level by using three slices of bread and two layers of filling for an epic triple-decker meal. Switch it up with different types of nut butter—try almond or cashew—and homemade fresh jam made with beautiful summer berries. You'll look forward to the week ahead with these cold lunch ideas in your back pocket.

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Chicken-Salad Club Roll

Chicken-Salad Club Roll
Credit: Chris Simpson
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Upgrade basic chicken salad with fresh herbs—we like tarragon and basil—plus diced celery and thinly sliced scallions. We serve it tucked into a hot dog bun with bacon, sliced avocado, Little Gem lettuce, and cherry tomatoes.

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Creamy Ginger-Asparagus Soup

Creamy Ginger-Asparagus Soup recipe
Credit: Chris Simpson
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Make this chilled soup over the weekend and enjoy it for lunch all week long. The base is made with a russet potato, asparagus, and baby spinach, but it gets lots of aromatic flavor from fresh cilantro and ginger, too.

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Triple Decker PB & J Tea Sandwiches

a98686_0501_pb_sandwchs.jpg
Credit: Brian Doben
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When you want to feel like a kid again, make this all-American classic for lunch. We've amped it up a little with three slices of bread and a double layer of peanut butter and jelly. Now that's something to smile about.

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Green Salad with Pickled-Shallot Vinaigrette

close up of green salad with pickled-shallot vinaigrette
Credit: Paola + Murray
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This simple, French-inspired green salad is far from ordinary. The vinaigrette is a classic Dijon and oil emulsion, plus pickled shallots for sharp flavor. It's tossed with mixed greens, thinly sliced watermelon radishes, and carrots.

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Tuna-Salad Wraps

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Full of nutrients, tuna is a great source of protein and tastes delicious combined with mayonnaise in this cold lunch wrap. Best of all, it comes together fast, so you'll be back at your desk long before your lunch break is over.

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Avocado-and-Boursin Sandwiches

avocado and boursin sandwiches
Credit: Lennart Weibull
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Nutty pumpernickel bread bookends entirely vegetarian ingredients—creamy Boursin cheese, sliced cucumber, sliced avocado, pea shoots, shredded red cabbage, and carrots—in this lunch sandwich.

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Taco Salad with Sweet-Potatoes

sweet potato taco salad served in pink bowl
Credit: Lennart Weibull
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Avoid the post-lunch slump with this hearty, healthy salad that's sure to leave you feeling nourished. Roasted sweet potatoes, which you can make in advance, are layered over lettuce along with the usual taco toppings—black beans, jalapeños, crushed tortilla chips, and lime juice.

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Poached Chicken Sandwiches with Peas and Radishes

poached chicken sandwiches with peas and radishes
Credit: Con Poulos
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If you're working from home, enjoy this bright green, open-faced sandwich. Thick slices of rustic bread are topped with a pea, almond, and ricotta spread, plus thinly sliced radishes, fresh mint leaves, and sugar snap peas. Get a taste of spring with every bite.

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Orecchiette, Celery, and Olive Salad with Ricotta Salata

Orecchiette, Celery, and Olive Salad
Credit: Ren Fuller
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Orecchiette—which means "little ears"—is the perfect vessel for holding vegetables, chickpeas, and plenty of cheese in this pasta salad. It's hearty and healthy for lunch; make it in advance and serve at room temperature.

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Scandinavian Shrimp-and-Cucumber Sandwich

scandinavian shrimp and cucumber sandwich
Credit: Ren Fuller
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Your work-from-home lunch sandwich does not need to be boring. In fact, this one feels incredibly special. Poached shrimp, hard-boiled eggs, sliced cucumbers, and Neufchatel cheese top pumpernickel bread for a stunning open-faced meal.

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Mexican Seafood Salad

mexican seafood salad
Credit: Sidney Bensimon
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Bibb lettuce is topped with colorful vegetables such as tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, and shucked corn, and a duo of shrimp and red snapper, in this family-friendly lunch salad that's perfect for serving during summer (or whenever you want a colorful bowl).

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Rice Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Feta

rice salad with tomatoes cucumbers feta
Credit: Paola + Murray
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Make this recipe in a flash by using precooked brown rice, which is tossed with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, crumbled feta cheese, parsley, and fresh mint. It's a Mediterranean-inspired lunch salad that will leave you feeling nourished and ready to tackle your afternoon to-do list.

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Greek Quinoa Salad

greek quinoa salad
Credit: Bryan Gardner
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Quinoa—a nutritious superfood—is the grain found in this 30-minute salad. You can make it in advance, so that you can relax during your lunch break instead of standing at the hot stove.

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Late-Summer Chopped Salad with Cottage Cheese

late summer chop
Credit: CHELSEA CAVANAUGH
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Cottage cheese is a healthy lunch staple. Dress it up with chopped fruits and vegetables, such as fennel, apples, and cucumbers, for a quick midday meal.

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Tuna-Salad Hand Rolls

Tuna-Salad Hand Rolls recipe
Credit: Lennart Weibull
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This is nothing like tuna salad of days-gone-by. We use good-quality canned tuna mixed with mayonnaise and lemon juice, then fold the mixture into nori sheets with sliced vegetables and avocado. 

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Gazpacho Salad with Croutons

gazpacho salad with croutons
Credit: Christopher Testani
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In between gazpacho soup and Panzanella salad is this genius, simple lunch salad. Croutons, tomatoes, and bell peppers are tossed with a Dijon and sherry vinegar dressing for a bite that will transport you to a whole new world.

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Curried Lentil-Salmon Salad

Curried Lentil-Salmon Salad
Credit: Con Poulos
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Use precooked lentils in this nutritious salad that comes together in just 30 minutes. We serve the vegetables and salmon over a thick schmear of Greek yogurt, which adds tang and creaminess.

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Grilled Skirt-Steak Salad

grilled skirt-steak salad topped with feta
Credit: Con Poulos
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Have leftover grilled steak from dinner? Serve it with a flavorful salad loaded with orange and yellow bell peppers, feta cheese, and cherry tomatoes. We like it dressed in our favorite basic vinaigrette. 

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Spanish Gazpacho

spanish gazpacho
Credit: Dana Gallagher
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Cool off with this classic tomato and red pepper soup. Our secret ingredient is one-third cup of orange juice, which brightens the base. It's a make-ahead marvel.

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    1 of 20
    2 of 20 Chicken-Salad Club Roll
    3 of 20 Creamy Ginger-Asparagus Soup
    4 of 20 Triple Decker PB & J Tea Sandwiches
    5 of 20 Green Salad with Pickled-Shallot Vinaigrette
    6 of 20 Tuna-Salad Wraps
    7 of 20 Avocado-and-Boursin Sandwiches
    8 of 20 Taco Salad with Sweet-Potatoes
    9 of 20 Poached Chicken Sandwiches with Peas and Radishes
    10 of 20 Orecchiette, Celery, and Olive Salad with Ricotta Salata
    11 of 20 Scandinavian Shrimp-and-Cucumber Sandwich
    12 of 20 Mexican Seafood Salad
    13 of 20 Rice Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Feta
    14 of 20 Greek Quinoa Salad
    15 of 20 Late-Summer Chopped Salad with Cottage Cheese
    16 of 20 Tuna-Salad Hand Rolls
    17 of 20 Gazpacho Salad with Croutons
    18 of 20 Curried Lentil-Salmon Salad
    19 of 20 Grilled Skirt-Steak Salad
    20 of 20 Spanish Gazpacho

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    20 Cold Lunch Ideas for Easy Weekday Meals
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