Top 10 summer lunch ideas

Check out our summer salads, no-cook summer meals and summer sharing recipes for more seasonal dishes.

1. Roasted courgette flatbreads with fennel seeds

Put seasonal courgettes to brilliant use in these loaded flatbreads for a winningly easy, flavour-packed lunch. Simply roast your courgette with spices and seasoning until tender, spread yogurt over the top of shop-bought flatbreads, then top with the roasted courgette, pomegranate seeds, feta and coriander.

Try more flatbread recipes as well as more ways to use courgettes.

2. Mortadella, burrata & pistachio pesto ciabatta

Bite into fresh, summery flavours with this fully-loaded ciabatta featuring mortadella and burrata. Find mortadella for this sandwich stunner in delis or some supermarkets – it’s a luncheon meat made of ground cured pork, often studded with pistachios.

See our full collection of sandwich recipes for more inspiration.

3. Caesar salad wrap

Enjoy a classic caesar salad in wrap form with this easy-to-make lunch. Spread a creamy and briny dressing over a large tortilla, dot over breaded chicken breast, crunchy romaine lettuce and giardiniera pickling liquid then wrap up tightly, folding the ends in so everything stays in place.

Discover more wrap recipes and caesar salad recipes.

4. Charred corn, chicken & tortilla salad with chipotle yogurt dressing

Dig into this colourful chicken salad for a filling lunchtime treat. It's a great way to use up barbecue leftovers or a garden glut. Top Little Gem leaves with chargrilled shredded chicken, sweetcorn, cherry tomatoes, black beans and crispy tortilla strips.

Check out more chicken salad recipes.

5. Mango chutney & chicken sliders

Put those Sunday roast leftovers to good use with these simple chicken sliders, topped with a refreshing chopped cucumber, red onion, chilli and coriander salad. Add Little Gem leaves, mango chutney and a cooling yogurt dressing for an out-of-this-world lunchbreak.

Take a look at more chicken burger recipes and summer chicken recipes.

6. Chipotle gazpacho

Liven up lunchtime with this vibrant, no-cook gazpacho. The chipotle adds a spicy, smoky kick and it's gratifyingly healthy too – it's packed with vitamin C and delivers three of your five-a-day.

See more summer soup recipes.

7. Peanut chickpea rice bowl

Rustle up a plant-based rice bowl that's full of different textures thanks to the chickpeas and peanuts. It can be cooked in the oven or air fryer for dinner, with leftovers kept for lunch the next day. It makes a healthy meal that's low in calories, too.

Try more vegan lunch recipes.

8. Ham & piccalilli salad

Channel the flavours of a picnic with this filling salad, perfect for the days it’s too hot use the oven. It's quick to prep, low in calories and fat, plus it's gluten-free.

Check out more no-cook recipes and no-cook summer recipes.

9. Orzo, feta & prawn pasta salad

Throw together feta, prawns, orzo, sundried tomatoes and cucumber to make this quick and easy pasta salad. Try it for a low-calorie lunch that's ready in just 20 minutes.

Try more pasta salad recipes and prawn pasta recipes.

10. Sweet melon, curry leaf & burrata salad

Melon, curry leaf and burrata may seem like an unlikely combo, but it's a sweet, spicy, creamy and aromatic celebration of summer flavours that you’ll be making all summer long. Try it for a gluten-free, veggie lunch that's ready on the table in under half an hour.

Discover more burrata recipes and vegetarian salad recipes.

Enjoyed these lunch ideas? See more inspiration...

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