5 EASY VEGAN LUNCHES

I find lunch a really awkward meal. You don’t want to cook because you know you’ll be cooking for dinner, but you want more than just a sandwich or a salad. Well, I am here to save your day, (I hope). I have made a list of 5 of my favourite lunches which can be changed to suit your preferences, providing you with more options and a variety. Let’s get into it.

SOUP

I am starting off with a really simple and easy lunch idea. Essentially, you could just pop down to your local supermarket and buy a tin of your favourite (vegan) soup and that is just fine. Sainsbury’s do a really good vegan soup range, my favourites include the tomato and basil and their spicy tomato, lentil and red pepper soup. These retail at £1.25, so not too bad for a quick easy meal.

(pics)

Alternatively, you could make your own soup if you are feeling adventurous and have a little more time on your hands. I have a recipe for my butternut squash soup here, if you like a nice thick consistency in a soup. I always pair my soup with toasted bread slathered in vitalite.

Sainsbury's tomato and basil soup
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Homemade butternut squash soup
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BUDDHA BOWL

I actually don’t know what a Buddha bowl is, other than they are all over my Instagram feed. My interpretation of a Buddha bowl is essentially fitting as many ingredients as you can into your bowl until it is bursting at the seams. Exciting.

When I make my Buddha bowls I always start with my meat substitute and build around it. This could be Fry’s Family nuggets, Linda McCartney sausage rolls, or even some falafel. I always like to have something substantial to build around.

Then I move on to a carbohydrate. I usually tear up a wrap in to small pieces and put it in the oven at around 150 degrees for just under 10 minutes, (keep an eye on them because they burn very easily). If you don’t want tortilla chips, you could use potatoes or rice.

I then whip up a salad, usually containing spinach, cucumber, avocado and peppers. I assemble my bowl and top it all off with a dollop of hummus, sweet chilli sauce, hot sauce and black pepper, (sometimes if I’m really fancy I’ll add some free from mayo).

Buddha bowl using Fry's meat free mugs
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Buddha bowl using a Morrisons' vegetable burgerr, kale, potatoes and veg
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Buddha bowl using Fry's meat free nugs and homemade tortilla chips
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Buddha bowl using Linda's sausage rolls and homemade tortilla chips
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Wraps/Sandwiches

If you follow me on Instagram (emeatsvegan), you will know I make wraps out of anything. My favourite wrap to make at the moment is a duck pancake using Linda McCartney’s shredded duck, spinach and some cucumber. I top this all off with some soy and hoisin sauce. It is delicious and takes literally ten minutes to make.

Duck pancake
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I also love to make a Nando’s style wrap. I’ll do this using Linda McCartney’s pulled chicken cooked with a red pepper and some Nando’s lemon and herb sauce. I’ll put it in a wrap with some spinach and some sweet chilli. It tastes just how I imagine a Nando’s wrap would take. So, save your money and make it at home.

Nando's style wrap
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Another one of my favourite at the moment is a falafel wrap/sandwich. It tastes really good in a baguette with cucumber, spinach and sweet chilli, (can you tell I don’t really vary my salads/sauces). I have also heard that it is good with tahini, but unfortunately, I have never tried it.

Falafel baguette
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Falafel wrap
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You really can put anything in a wrap, so get creative. Here are a few others I have made.

ALL the veg in a wrap
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Fry's meat free mugs in a pitta with free from mayo
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Asda's popcorn chicken in a pitta
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NOODLES
I never really make a stir fry anymore and I don’t know why as they are so quick and easy, hence why they are perfect for lunch times. The best thing about a stir fry is that they are so versatile. You can switch up your veg and put in some fake meat if you like and change the sauce, giving you endless options for your meal.

Linda McCartney shredded duck stir fry
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Linda McCartney pulled chicken stir fry
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Stir fry and veg
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Fry's meaty chunks in a BBQ stir fry
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Most supermarkets sell the little packets of stir fry sauces for around 50p, if you didn’t want to make your own sauce. Cheap and easy.

PASTA

If I am having pasta for lunch, I usually have a salad version, rather than a tomatoey base, as I like it a little lighter in the day. My favourite way to have a lunch time pasta is to chop up a load of salad and have it with your pasta and some hummus. It is a lot easier to make it this way, as the only thing you have to cook is the pasta.

Pasta with salad, hummus and tortilla chips
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(There is pasta under there somewhere)
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So, there are 5 options for an easy vegan lunch, all of which can be switched up for even more options. I hope I have helped you gather some inspiration for that awkward lunch time meal.

Emma xx