Recently I’ve been really enjoying making tasty lunches to take to the library. It makes such a difference to my lunch break (and my finances…) when I have a delicious pasta salad or homemade soup to look forward to, instead of heading to the nearest Pret. These recipes are easy to make in batches for the week, all you need is a large saucepan and a few empty takeaway containers or tupperware pots. I’ve included the price breakdown of the recipes too, the prices have been calculated using Tesco and include all the ingredients in the recipe apart from salt and pepper. They all cost less than £3 per serving, cheaper than your average meal deal! The links to all the recipes are included in the post below:
Here are my top 6 lunches for the library!
If you’ve got access to a microwave wherever you are working or studying, this is a really great soup to keep you full and satisfied. This soup is perfect for some of the colder days we’ve been having, just serve with your favourite bread and butter. (£1.87 per serving based on 4 servings made with ingredients from Tesco)
Herby Orzo Pasta Salad with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
As you may have been able to guess from my recipes, I love orzo. Pasta is a perfect library lunch as you can prep a huge batch on a Sunday night, package up in empty takeaway containers and grab it easily from the fridge in the mornings. I love this recipe in particular because of the pumpkin seeds, you can add any seeds or nuts that you like really, just something to add a bit of a crunch. (£1.11 per serving based on 5 servings- multiply the orzo by 5 and adjust other ingredients to suit- made with ingredients from Tesco)
Lemony Pesto Pasta with Roasted Veg and Feta
This one is great for bringing a bit of sunshine into the library, sharp lemony flavours with summery veg is a perfect combination. Again, really easy to make in a large batch for the week, with loads of healthy stuff to keep you on track even when you’re short on time. (£1.46 per serving, based on 5 servings made with ingredients from Tesco)
If you aren’t in the mood for pasta (I’m not sure who you are…) then this carrot and freekeh salad is a great alternative. Freekeh is a tasty and versatile grain that’ll keep your lunches filling and interesting. You could cook a batch of freekeh at the weekend and change up your toppings or dressings throughout the week if you like a bit more variety! (£1.73 per serving based on 4 servings- just double the recipe- made using ingredients from Tesco and Freekeh from a health food shop)
Pumpkin, Coconut and Ginger Soup
Another tasty soup recipe! This one is delicious too, and perfect if you’re a fan of asian flavours or a bit of spice. This recipe is also suitable for vegans, as are most on this list (just replace the cheese/egg pasta for vegan alternatives). (£1.07 per serving based on 4 servings made with ingredients from Tesco)
Roasted Summer Veg with Herby Pesto Dressing
This lunch recipe is great if you’re trying to include a bit more veg into your diet. You can use pretty much any of your favourites here, chuck it all in a pan and roast then smother in pesto. Yum. (£2.11 per serving, based on 4 servings made with ingredients from Tesco)
Thank you for reading, and I would love to know if you try any of these recipes, or have any favourites of your own!
Louella's Kitchen 