Easy, Enticing To-Go Lunches
recipes for pack-able lunches you'll look forward to all morning
Labor day seems to be the line in the sand separating picnic lunches from lunches you pack for work, or to bring along on a day running errands, so being that it’s mid-September I suppose these are the latter. Truthfully though, these delicious, lunch-box friendly recipes are prime for a late-summer picnic too. Besides being easily pack-able, these recipes are miles from your typical “sad desk lunch.” Each is brimming with enticing flavor, but easy to whip up thanks to a few fridge-and-pantry staple shortcuts. Enjoy!
5-Minute Salad: Tricolor Salad with White Beans and Parmesan
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski, food styling by Mariana Velasquez, and prop styling by Lynda White
This tricolor salad is a whole lot of goodness for very little effort. The trio of lettuces is an irresistible balance of peppery robust tastes, crisp and tender textures, and beautiful colors. The balsamic vinegar adds just the right sweet acidity to the dressing to bring it all together and white beans and cheese make it a complete, satisfying meal. Using pre-washed baby arugula and canned cannellini beans means it only takes 5 minutes to whip up.
Pasta Salad with Salmon, Peas, and Herbs
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski
Imagine a decadently rich creamy pasta salad with salmon that’s actually good for you. Well here you have it. The secret is in the dressing, which has a base of lemon-kissed Greek yogurt that’s the ideal foil for the rich salmon. Sweet peas stud the dish with beautiful color, and dill and scallion make it delightfully fragrant and flavorful. Most of the ingredients are healthy staples that are easy to keep on hand, such as canned salmon (you could sub fresh cooked), pasta, and frozen peas.
Hummus Wraps With Grilled Zucchini and Dukkah
Photo by Jennifer Chase for The Washington Post
If you don’t have a jar of Dukkah in your spice cabinet yet, this recipe is your invitation to pick some up. The fragrant, crunchy Middle Eastern seed and spice blend absolutely transforms your basic hummus wrap (and so much more). Here, a sprinkle of Dukkah and a layer of tender grilled zucchini on top of the usual crisp raw vegetables and greens turn an everyday healthful sandwich standby into one that is truly crave-able.