16 Easy Vegan Lunch Recipes for School and Work
Vegan lunch recipes for school can be simple, satisfying, and packed with flavor. Save this roundup whenever you need fresh vegan lunch inspiration, from vegan pastas and colorful salads to quick soups and easy meals you can enjoy at home or pack to go for vegan kids and adults alike.
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Post last updated July 30, 2026.
Working from home means my usual lunch consists of leftovers. Which is fine most of the time. I actually make too much food at dinner so I can have a week’s worth of leftovers ready for quick meals. If you work from home too, I highly recommend doing the same.
But sometimes I want to make something a little more kid friendly. Something that is healthy, big on color, but low on effort. These easy vegan lunch ideas are all that and more. The requirements to be a great vegan lunch recipe are simple:
- They need to be fast to prepare.
- Or they need to be meal-prep friendly and quick to heat up.
- Full of lots of fresh veggies.
- Leave you feeling satisfied and full without feeling heavy.
Browse this list and find a few favorites to try. Some of these are my recipes and some are from dear food friends whose recipes I adore. For more vegan inspiration check out my entire collection of vegan recipes!
And if you’re looking for a vegan sweet treat. Check out my vegan desserts round-up.
16 Vegan Lunches You’ll Love
1. Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
Particularly good in summer when tomatoes and cucumbers are at their peak, this fresh salad is one of my favorite no-cook vegan lunch ideas. Thinly sliced red onion and fresh herbs add contrast and the dressing is super simple, just olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Arrange the salad on your most beautiful plate to really make it feel special.
2. Summer Squash Vegan Tacos from ¡Hola! Jalapeño
With only 5 ingredients these tacos come together in a flash and taste amazing. Serve in warm corn tortillas and add store-bought pico de gallo or mango salsa on top. Add black beans or vegan cheese for a more filling lunch the whole family can enjoy.
3. Instant Pot Eggplant Curry
If you’re looking for a comforting, lunch-friendly Indian curry, this Instant Pot eggplant curry is one you’ll want to keep on repeat.
4. Strawberry and Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
This recipe for strawberry spinach salad with poppy seed dressing is one I make on repeat all through strawberry season—it’s fresh, colorful, and comes together in no time.
5. Tomato Rice Soup with Dill
I make a pot of soup every week to keep on hand for quick lunches. This flavorful tomato soup contains tomatoes, onions, saffron, orange zest, rice, and dill. The taste is incredible—unlike any other tomato soup you have made. Rice helps make it more substantial, and a slice of toasted bread turns it into a comforting meal for a cold or rainy school day.
6. Pasta with Capers, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Mint
This pasta with capers recipe brings Sicilian-inspired flavors to your lunch table in just 20 minutes. Made with simple ingredients, salty capers, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, olive oil, and currants, this pantry pasta delivers lots of flavor with very little effort.
7. Potato and Green Bean Curry
This potato curry recipe features creamy new potatoes, crisp green beans, chick peas, and fragrant Indian spices like mustard and cumin all in an easy to make sauté that comes together in about 30 minutes. Transport to work with rice in these stainless steel tiffin lunch boxes.
8. Sopita de Letras from ¡Hola! Jalapeño
This fun soup is perfect when you are feeding little ones at lunchtime or looking for comforting school lunches. The recipe calls for dried chickpeas but you could make it super quick by subbing canned. My kids always loved the alphabet pasta. I love these Mepa Lunch Pots if you are packing it for lunch.
9. Zucchini Pasta with Pine Nuts and Mint
Full of tender zucchini, toasted pine nuts, and thinly sliced mint, this pasta is simple but surprisingly delicious. It tastes great hot, at room temperature, or cold, making it an excellent option for a work or school lunch box. When packing it ahead, add an ice pack to help with food safety and keep it at the right temperature until lunchtime.
10. Tofu Stir Fry with Hoisin Sauce
Red pepper, mushrooms, and sugar snap peas make up this quick and simple stir-fry but it’s the crispy tofu and the ginger-hoisin sauce that beautifully coats everything and creates a super tasty lunch.
11. Vegan Tofu Scramble
This cheap lazy vegan tofu scramble is a satisfying plant-based lunch that’s budget-friendly and ready in just 35 minutes. Made with a simple tofu block, mushrooms, peppers, and pantry staples, this vegan tofu scramble recipe is a great option for busy mornings, meal prep, or anyone looking for a healthy breakfast or lunch.
12. Sweet Cherry and Tomato Salad
This sweet cherry and tomato salad is one of my favorite ways to celebrate summer. Juicy ripe tomatoes, sweet fresh cherries, basil, and a simple olive oil and reduced balsamic dressing that comes together in 10 minutes.
13. Best Ever Canned Black Beans from ¡Hola! Jalapeño
Having a can of black beans is a lunchtime lifesaver. These canned beans are anything but boring, flavored with cumin, coriander, and lots of garlic and onions I like to eat them with steamed rice and lots of chopped cilantro.
14. Baked Purple Sweet Potatoes
If you’re looking for a baked purple sweet potato recipe that’s as gorgeous as it is delicious, you’re in the right place. These roasted purple sweet potatoes get tossed with a deeply savory mix of ginger, garlic, scallions, jalapeños, and shallots for a colorful lunch that transports beautifully.
15. Super Quick Hummus
Sure you can buy store-bought hummus but making your own tastes so much better and if you use canned chick peas it is pretty easy. I love dolloping a few spoonfuls of hummus onto a plate for lunch with some veggies like broccoli, radishes, and celery for dipping as well as crackers or tortilla chips.
16. Grain and Bean Salad with Cherry Pepper Vinaigrette
Colorful, crunchy, and full of flavor, this grain and bean salad recipe is a standout lunch. Nutty whole grains, crisp green beans, and protein-rich garbanzo beans are tossed in a tangy-sweet (or spicy) cherry pepper vinaigrette that’s impossible to resist!
More Recipe Collections To Browse:
- 17 Healthy and Delicious Vegan Dessert Recipes
- 18 Healthy Ground Turkey Recipes
- 11 Delicious and Cheap Crock Pot Meals
- 12 Summer Gin Cocktails To Sip On
- 10 St. Patrick’s Day Desserts You Must Try
- The Best Mashed Potatoes Recipes
- 13 Healthy Crockpot Chicken Recipes
If You Make Any Of These Vegan Lunches…
Let me know! I always love hearing from you and any feedback you might have. Leave me a comment below or share a photo and tag me on Instagram using @katesbestrecipes so that I can see! Also, sign up for my weekly recipe newsletter so you never miss a thing.
