23 working-from-home lunch ideas

Posted · 7th June 2023

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Hybrid working has massively increased over the past three years with 38% of the UK workforce now working from home at least some of the time.

Though working from home has a whole heap of benefits (like ditching the drab morning commute), there are pitfalls too. One of which, is the difficulty in creating boundaries when your home is also your office. A recent study found that as many as 12.5% of home-workers don’t allow themselves time to eat lunch!

Well, we’re here to help! We’ve collated the ultimate list of lunching-from-home inspiration to make sure you’re armed with a tantalising recipe whenever you work from home – no matter what’s tickling your fancy. Enjoy!

Super quick and easy lunches

If you’re short on time but still want a filling and flavourful lunch, give one of these top-tier speedy recipes a go. From pasta perfection to pita pockets and superfast stir frys these will all have you tasting a top-drawer lunch in no time!

1. Creamy Tofu and Asparagus Pasta

This vibrant and creamy pasta with fresh asparagus, tofu and a host of herbs makes for an indulgent lunchtime meal that can be put together in under 20 minutes.

2. Chilli Tofu Noodles

If you’re looking for a quick dish that packs a spicy punch for lunch, look no further. With freshly sliced veggies, Cauldron Marinated Tofu Pieces and rice noodles all cooked with oodles of Asian-inspired aromatics, this is a working-from-home winner that’s incredibly easy to make.

3. Falafels with Turmeric CousCous and Flatbreads

Baked falafels on a bed of soft couscous, fresh salad and flatbreads to dip and dunk… this one’s a Moroccan-inspired snack plate that’ll keep you going for the rest of the workday, no probs.

4. Falafel Pita Pockets

Level up your lunchtime with these super quick and flavourful Falafel Pita Pockets.

Just roll them up and enjoy!

Budget-friendly lunches

Feed four people for as little as £5 with one of our budget-friendly but still super tasty lunchtime recipes.

Trust us, these hit the spot whilst being kind to your bank balance, too!

5. Simple Sausage Courgetti

This superb light lunch (conjured by our own Stu Henshall is a healthy courgetti and sausage pasta dish that can feed four people for just £5! Perfect for a flavourful, budget-friendly and fuss-free lunch!

6. Tofu Caesar Salad

With crispy baked tofu and a zesty vegan Caesar dressing, this Tofu Caesar Salad is not only a belter of a quick and easy lunch, but it also only costs £5.60 to put together four servings! Get this in your recipe rotation, it won’t let you down!

7. Hoisin Tofu Stir Fry

This sizzling stir fry is quick, full of flavour and, at just £5.40 for four servings, very wallet-friendly! Packed full of veg, a speedy stir fry sauce and our Hoisin Tofu Pieces to add a little extra aromatic flavour to the mix too.

Wraps and sarnies

Once you’ve worked from home and whipped up a top-notch wrap or sarnie, you’ll never buy a meal deal ever again. Perfect for cobbling together whatever’s left in the fridge into a lush lunch or making your leftovers into a tasty lunchtime treat, too!

Here are our favourite sarnie and wrap recipes to have in the locker next time you’re working at home.

Wrap recipes

8. Spiced Falafel and Veg Burritos

These spiced falafel and veggie burritos are perfect for prepping in advance, freezing and pulling out when you’re ready for lunch.

You can even cram them full of leftover vegetables to use everything up in your fridge, too – winner!

9. Middle Eastern Rainbow Tofu Wraps

Tangy veg and crispy marinated tofu topped with harissa yoghurt in a tortilla wrap – yep, this one’s as good as it sounds!

This is a perfect home lunch (if we do say so ourselves) and you can have it all wrapped up in 15 minutes flat – bellissimo.

10. Vegan Tacos With Teriyaki Tofu and Pineapple Salsa

With teriyaki tofu, jalapenos and charred pineapple salsa – these aren’t your run-of-the-mill tacos.

Nought-to-tasty in 25 mins, these make for the perfect hearty, healthy and flavour-filled quick lunch. Get involved!

11. Quick & Easy Vegan Falafel Wrap with Beetroot Hummus

Freshly made homemade beetroot hummus paired with our Middle Eastern Falalefs is a classic combo that will always hit the spot! Whip this one up in just fifteen minutes – perfect for a quick and tasty lunch.

Sarnies to savour

12. Hoisin Tofu Banh Mi

This vegan take on a banh mi using Cauldron Hoisin Tofu Pieces is perfect for knocking together on lunch (especially on a summer’s day).

3 easy steps, no cooking and crammed full of flavour – winner!

13. BBQ Pulled Tofu Sandwich

With BBQ pulled tofu in a doorstop sarnie with all the summery trimmings, this is a perfect recipe for a work-from-home lunch you can chow down in the sunshine.

14. Maakouda-Inspired Moroccan Falafel Sandwich

We’ve swapped the potato cakes for Cauldron Moroccan Falafels in this mouthwatering Maakouda-style sarnie! Freshly fried falafels are served in a soft panini with a tantalising and tangy Harissa-spiced sauce. Job’s a good’un!

15. Rainbow Falafel Sandwich

This is an open sandwich made with a falafel waffle (a.k.a ‘falaffle). Atop this falaffle we’re piling on creamy hummus, colourful salad and avocado for a flavourful, healthy and summery lunch from home.

Sensational Salads

Fancy filling up on something fresh, luscious, leafy and nutritious?
We’ve got you covered with our selection of spectacular seasonal salads.

16. Hawaiian Tofu Poke Salad

Nothing says, light, fresh and flavourful like a classic Poke bowl! We’ve swapped the traditional raw fish in this Hawaiian dish for our Marinated Tofu Pieces… #Delish. We’ve also loaded our bowl with rice, peppers, avo and a light yuzu and soy dressing. Keu a ka ‘ono! (Bon appetite!)

17. Falafel Salad Bowl

If you’re in need of a nourishing, healthy lunch that’s packed full of goodness, this vibrant, veg-packed salad bowl is what you need. Fresh falafels, all the greens, avo, carrots and couscous topped with hummus and a squeeze of lemon juice, too – perfect!

18. Falafel Fattoush Pasta Salad

With a heap of fresh herbs, spices, roasted veggies and lemon juice and pomegranate seeds in the mix, it’s no wonder fattoush salad is a summer favourite! With some fusilli pasta, fried falafel and crispy flatbreads on the side this is the perfect summer’s day pasta salad recipe.

19. Italian Style Green Bean, Potato and Tomato Salad

Our marinated tofu pieces are tossed together with green beans, baby new potatoes and tomatoes with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and fresh thyme. Like the very best Italian cooking, this salad is simple and undeniably delicious. Enjoy!

20. Tofu Summer Salads

Never tried a tofu salad before? Well here are four for you to give a go! From Miso Glazed Tofu Salad to a vegan caprese with tofu in place of mozzarella, any one of these works as an easy-to-make, lighter lunchtime meal.

Superb soups

We love a good liquid lunch. And no, we don’t mean a few Aperol Spritz in the sunshine (promise)… we’re talking about whipping up a fresh and flavourful soup!

21. Lemon & Asparagus Orzo Soup with Middle Eastern Falafels

This one’s a zesty, veggie-filled summer soup that’s packed with orzo and topped with falafel to bring an added boost of Middle Eastern flavour. This is super tasty and sure to satisfy those lunchtime hunger pangs!

22. Spicy Tofu & Root Vegetable Soup

Veg, spice, and all things nice… this is a hearty soup with a kick that needs just 10 mins of prep then you can leave it simmering away until you’re ready to chow down. Ideal for grabbing on the fly when you’re busy as all heck working from home!

23. Tofu Asparagus Soup

To make this vibrant soup all you do is whip up a fresh veg stock, fry some onion celery and asparagus and combine with blitzed tofu to give it that sooouper smooth and creamy finish (not to mention an added protein boost too!). This is a spring/summer classic you’ll definitely want to try.

We want to see your lunching-from-home meals!

If you whip up one of our top working-from-home recipes make sure to tag us on social media (@cauldronfoods).

We love seeing our recipes in the wild, we love seeing all of your different takes on our recipes, and, well… we love seeing any and all amazing recipes to be fair! Don’t keep yours a secret – sharing is caring, people!

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