..Vegan shakshuka...

 There’s nothing that beats a hearty and delicious shakshuka for brunch. This vegan version is heavenly – even those who eat meat will devour it!

Vegan shakshuka

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil + extra, to drizzle
• 1½ red onions, sliced into 8 pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 ripe jam tomatoes, diced
• 600g small exotic tomatoes, halved
• 1 fresh chilli, halved
• 110g (½ cup) cooked red adzuki beans
• 95g (½ cup) cooked cowpeas/black-eyed beans
• 16 Manzanilla green olives, pitted
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6 small spinach leaves, stems removed
• 6 small kale leaves, stems removed
• 600g firm organic tofu (we used Green Guru)
• fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
• sourdough bread, to serve

Instructions

2

Place the 2 tbsp olive oil in a heavy-based, stove-to-oven casserole dish placed over medium heat. Add the red onion and garlic, and sauté until the onion has softened a little, about 5 minutes. Add the paprika, cumin and nutmeg, and fry for 1 – 2 minutes. Turn the heat to low, add the diced jam tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. Gently stir in the sliced exotic tomatoes, chilli, cooked beans and green olives. Season to taste, then simmer for a further 5 minutes.

3

Fold in the spinach and kale leaves. Tear the tofu into egg-sized chunks and nestle into the tomato mixture.

4

Place the casserole in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately with chunks of hot, crusty sourdough bread.

15 Vegetarian Lunch Recipes in Three Steps or Less

 Make these flavorful, vegetarian recipes for lunch. They’re packed with fiber-rich foods like legumes and whole grains, as well as protein-packed vegetables like spinach and avocado to help you feel energized throughout the afternoon. Plus, each meal comes together in just three steps or less so that food prep is a cinch. Recipes like our 3-Ingredient Brie & Jam Wrap and Cucumber Chickpea Salad with Feta & Lemon are delicious, nutritious and satisfying dishes you’ll want to eat every day of the week.

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Green Goddess Wrap

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A soft and silky green goddess dressing blends with crunchy fresh cucumber and tender greens in this easy wrap. If you prefer, you can ditch the wrap and enjoy the filling as a salad instead.

Cucumber Sandwich with Cotija & Lime

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This easy vegetarian cucumber sandwich draws flavor inspiration from elote, the Mexican street corn dish. Instead of corn, we flavor cucumber slices with cotija cheese, lime and cilantro for a tasty filling. Cotija cheese, a salty, crumbly Mexican cheese, is similar in flavor and texture to feta cheese, which can be used as a substitute. Arugula adds a peppery flavor, but any tender greens will work well here.

3-Ingredient Brie & Jam Wrap

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Cucumber Chickpea Salad with Feta & Lemon

Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Annie Probst

This cucumber chickpea salad with feta and lemon is tangy and refreshing. You can enjoy it on its own or toss it with greens for an easy lunch or dinner. We love the grassy flavor of dill, but another fresh herb like oregano, parsley or chives will work well in its place.

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Sara Haas

In our humble opinion, the dressing makes this salad. Tangy and zesty with a bit of a crunch from the shallots, this cilantro-mint-shallot vinaigrette will quickly become your go-to. Make the dressing and chop up the veggies while you wait for the pasta to cook, then mix everything and enjoy!

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This tomato toast features a creamy ricotta cheese spread and, of course, juicy ripe summer tomatoes. A serrated knife makes cutting thin slices of the heirloom tomatoes easier when they are on the softer side. If you have cherry tomatoes on hand, they will work well too, either sliced or blistered under the broiler.

Anti-Inflammatory Beet & Avocado Wrap

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Packed with fiber and monounsaturated fats, avocados are one of the best foods to eat to fight inflammation. Combined with beets, which contain their own inflammation-fighting phytochemicals, you'll get a lunch that packs a healthy punch. The tahini-lemon mixture adds brightness and a nutty flavor to the wrap. To julienne beets, cut them into thin rounds, then slice the rounds into matchsticks. Or to save time, simply grate the beets on the largest holes of a box grater.

The Best Tomato Sandwich

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This easy vegetarian wrap makes a great grab-and-go lunch for work or school. Roasted red pepper hummus adds color and a little extra flavor, but any flavor hummus will work well here. Cucumber, sprouts, salad greens or spinach all add a refreshing crunch. For a peppery kick, try using arugula.

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An easy lunch is only three ingredients away with this cucumber Boursin wrap. Boursin spreadable cheese is flavorful and functional, as it holds the chopped cucumber in place as you roll up the wrap. You can slice and enjoy this easy sandwich right away, or pack it up for lunch. If you are saving it for later, pat the chopped cucumber with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.

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Buffalo Chickpea Salad

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3-Ingredient White Bean & Cherry Tomato Salad

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Cucumber Sandwiches👌👌

  PM

Cool, crisp, refreshing, and... very little more.

Why It Works

• Salting the cucumber slices for 20 minutes seasons them while extracting excess moisture.
• A thin layer of European-style cultured butter or cream cheese adds a welcome tangy flavor to the delicate cucumber.

Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

Recipe Details

Cucumber Sandwiches

Cool, crisp, refreshing, and... very little more.

• 1/4 unpeeled english cucumber (3 ounces, 85g), sliced into 1/8-inch-thick rounds (about 2/3 cup)

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh dill, optional

• 8 thin slices white sandwich bread

• 5 tablespoons (71g) salted European-style cultured butter, softened, or 1/3 cup (57g) whipped cream cheese (see notes)

1. In a colander, toss cucumbers with salt and set over a bowl; let stand uncovered at room temperature for 20 minutes. Shake colander to drain off excess liquid and gently pat cucumbers dry with paper towels. In an empty bowl, toss dried cucumber slices with the lemon juice and dill (if using); set aside until ready to use. 

   

   Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

2. Meanwhile, use a serrated knife to trim crusts from bread slices to form roughly 2 1/2– by 2 1/2–inch bread squares. 

   

   Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

3. Spread butter or cream cheese evenly on 1 side of each bread slice. Top half of the buttered bread slices with the cucumber slices (about 6 cucumber slices per bread slice). Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered sides down. Press down gently on sandwiches to adhere fillings.

   

   Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

4. Using a sharp knife, cut each sandwich into triangles and arrange attractively on a serving platter. Serve immediately.

   

   Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

Special Equipment

Colander, serrated knife

Notes

If using cream cheese in this recipe, I recommend using Philadelphia Original Whipped cream cheese. The acidity and tang of the cream cheese pairs well with the mildly flavored cucumber, while the whipped style spreads easily on the bread without tearing it.

This recipe can easily be scaled up or down to suit your serving needs.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The prepared sandwiches can be wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 6 hours.