Lunch Recipes Ready in 20 Minutes or Less

Ready for lunch? Here’s a bunch of quick lunch recipes you can make ahead or on the spot. The best part? They are all satisfying and easy to make.

By
Sara Bir
Sara Bir
Sara Bir
Sara is a chef, culinary educator, and author of three cookbooks, The Pocket Pawpaw Cookbook, Tasting Ohio and The Fruit Forager's Companion. The latter won a 2019 IACP Cookbook Award.
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Published July 29, 2021
Sara Bir
Easy Lunch Recipes Ready In 20 Minutes or Less

Simply Recipes

Maybe you’re home for the summer, working from home as your new normal or in need of some easy recipes to prep and take with you. Whatever the case, nothing beats a simple lunch made with fresh ingredients.

Whipping up a quick, satisfying lunch in the summertime is especially easy, since you have seasonal produce and warm weather on your side. Hot food isn’t always appealing, and peak vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers don’t need any cooking to make them delicious. We also rely on trusty canned ingredients in this round up like beans and tuna.

Ready? Let’s dig in!

  • Quesadilla

    A plate of quesedillas and toppings.
    Sally Vargas

    Quesadillas are good anytime! They might seem like a no-brainer, but our quesadilla recipe has a few little tricks up its sleeves to make the toastiest quesadilla ever. Throw in some leftover cooked meat or vegetables for an upgrade.

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  • White Bean and Tuna Salad

    White Bean Tuna Salad
    Elise Bauer

    Hold the mayo with this tuna salad. We like to use tuna packed in olive oil, but if all you have on hand is tuna packed in water, add a little extra olive oil for the best results.

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  • Chickpea Salad Sandwich

    Side view of chickpea salad sandwich on a plate with chips.
    Sally Vargas | Art Banner Credit: Elena Resko

    Open a can of chickpeas and you’re halfway done with this vegetarian take on chicken salad. Not into sandwiches? Just enjoy the chickpea salad mixed in with lettuce or arugula.

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  • Zucchini Noodle Salad

    Asian Zucchini Noodle Salad
    Elise Bauer

    Put a dent in your surplus of garden zucchini with this zucchini noodle salad. Prep the veggies and then mix together a dressing that gets a savory boost from roasted sesame oil. This recipe is best eaten right after you make it.

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    Continue to 5 of 8 below.

  • Avocado Toasts with Olive Relish

    Avocado Toast with Olive Relish

    Pull together a zingy olive relish using fresh tomatoes and a kiss of balsamic. Your standard avocado toast will get a colorful, piquant upgrade.

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  • Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Mozzarella, Red Peppers, and Arugula

    Recipe for Mozzarella Grilled Cheese with red peppers and arugula
    Alison Bickel

    These colorful grilled cheese sandwiches use jarred roasted red peppers and baby arugula for quick assembly. Make sure to use firmer (low-moisture) mozzarella for these, not the fresh kind.

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  • Three Bean Salad

    3 bean salad recipe
    Elise Bauer

    Equally sweet and vinegary, this is a classic summer salad for picnics and cookouts. But you can pull it together in a snap using canned beans. It keeps well, so it’s handy for a few more days of bean-y lunches. To make it heartier, add a sliced hard-boiled egg on top and serve with a few crusty slices of bread.

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  • Cucumber Sandwiches

    Triangle cut cucumber tea sandwiches are stacked on a cake stand and encircled with fresh herbs. Sliced cucucumbers are visible inside each one.
    Sally Vargas

    Yes, you can serve these at a tea party or you can enjoy them as a simple lunch with fresh and cooling cucumbers. Be a rebel and keep the crusts on, why not!

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