17 Simple Vegan Lunch Ideas To Make In Airbnbs

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We’ve all been there…. Tummy rumbles have hit your belly as the lunch hour approaches. While dining out during vacation is a scrumptious option, sometimes vacationing means we simply want to maximize morning snuggles, lazy afternoons and enjoy some budget friendly meals in bed. Having some go-to vegan lunch ideas are a quick solution for keeping those vacation snuggles afloat.

For some easy vegan lunches, we’ve found there are a plethora of easy vegan lunch recipe options to chose from. We love using these vegan lunch recipes whenever we pack lunches for day trips, like our day trip to the hot springs near Sofia, for lunches on plane rides, relaxing in an Airbnb, or on long train rides through Europe.

Stay fueled when traveling by taking these lunch ideas on the road with you as you explore another landmark in the city, have a picnic, or relax in your Airbnb soaking up the city’s radiant ambiance.

Below you’ll find a list of several ideas for easy vegan lunches to make in Airbnbs. For those craving more recipes, click over to my guide to lazy vegan recipes for Airbnbs to find more easy vegan recipes for dinner to make during your stay.

Feel free to jump ahead to the lunch ideas!

Vegan lunch ideas on the go

Here are some quick vegan lunch ideas for travelers on the go! If you’re a gluten-free traveler, just be sure to grab gluten-free alternatives.

Pita pockets stuffed with chickpeas (or you can use black beans), lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Top with your favorite dressing. For gluten-free travelers, if you can’t find gluten-free pitas, swap out the pita for bread.

Vegetable sandwich. Grab bread from a bakery, then create your own sandwich by using seasonal and local vegetables. Many international grocery stores do have gluten-free bread and have vegan sandwich meat available for purchase. If you’re unsure if it suits your dietary needs, just ask a store clerk.

Side note: If you have food allergies read my guide on How To Travel The Globe With Food Allergies to learn more ways about how I prepare for travel with allergies.

Chickpea salad sandwich. Swap out your egg salad, or tuna salad, for chickpeas to create the ultimate vegan salad sandwich. Still loaded with all the creaminess and heartiness, but now its vegan-friendly and an easy (and cheap) meal to take on the go. Add as much veganaise, mustard, salt, pepper, paprika and chickpeas according to your taste buds, serve between two slices of bread, and enjoy.

Warm vegan lunch ideas

Vegetable white bean soup from Minimalist Baker. The dish — white beans, kale, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, and kale — is all slowly cooked for the ultimate vegan comfort food during winter travel. Whether you’re visiting the beautiful European Christmas markets or snow hiking through the national parks, this vegetable soup will warm your soul.

Vegetable fried rice. Once your rice is cooked, toss in whatever vegetables you have on hand. Add the rice and vegetables to your skillet — then wallah! Vegan fried rice. After, top with your favorite sauce, or enjoy as is.

Salad bar Lo Mein from Budget Bytes. Similar to vegetable fried rice, find your favorite vegetables or any veggies you have on a hand. Toss these vegetables into the pot while those noodles are boiling. Then drain and saute them with gluten-free soy sauce and spices. Note: I’ve never found gluten-free lo mein noodles, so I use gluten-free spaghetti noodles which work like a charm as a substitution.

Easy cheap vegan lunch ideas

Avocado sandwich. Toast fluffy slices of gluten-free bread, then top generously with avocado, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic. Add your choice of protein (e.g. tofu, tempeh) and any other vegetables (bell peppers, crispy romaine lettuce, etc.) and enjoy!

Tomato cucumber salad. Chop up some juicy tomatoes and cucumber, then add some thinly sliced purple onion. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and red wine vinegar for a sweet and salty salad.

Vegan Greek salad. Grab your bowl and combine the following fresh ingredients for a savory and cheap vegan meal — ripe tomatoes, Kalamata olives, red onions, cucumber, vegan feta cheese, salt, pepper, olive oil and spicy pepperoncinis.

Plant based lunch ideas

Garlic and herb sweet potato bowl from Minimalist Baker. This Mediterranean inspired dish encompasses pungent tabbouleh aside a plumb sweet potato with a yummy tahini drizzle atop.

Roasted brussel sprouts and chickpeas. This dish is hands down one of our favorite staple Airbnb vegan meals during our travels. It consists of tenderly roasted brussel sprouts coated generously in olive oil and roasted chickpeas topped with garlic, salt and pepper.

Balsamic roasted vegetable medley. Put your favorite root vegetables — carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and/or turnip — into a giant bowl mixed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Roast until the sweet veggies are tender and enjoy your plant-based dish.

Healthy vegan lunch ideas

Black bean, quinoa and kale salad. This salad is a healthy vegan lunch that’s easy to make on the go. Toss all the ingredients together with a lemon vinaigrette. Then, enjoy the subtle nutty taste of quinoa amongst the combination of meaty beans and hearty leafy greens.

Lemon quinoa with arugula. Serve yourself a hefty bowl of quinoa and arugula mixed to perfection with aromatic olive oil and a dash of freshly squeezed lemon. Then add salt and pepper according to your taste.

Tabbouleh or tabouli from Chef Denise is a refreshing cold salad meant for warm summer evenings. Inspired by traditional tabbouleh, this dish contains bulgur wheat, chickpeas, tomatoes, fresh scallions and aromatic herbs like parsley and mint for an insatiable flavor. Replace the cheese with vegan feta cheese, or skip it altogether.

4 Easy vegan recipes for travelers

Here’s a couple meal plans to use for cooking in your Airbnb. For more easy vegan recipes to cook on a chill vacation evening, read — Quick Vegan Recipes For Dinner — for more inspiration and recipes ideas. All these recipes are gluten-free too.

Vegan lunch recipes for beginners

Anything but boring salad

Salads are anything but boring! They’re excellent vegan ideas for lunch because they can be found almost anywhere. Whether you’re walking through the cobblestone streets of Sofia, Bulgaria, or jumping into the blue lagoons of Ibiza, Spain — salads are healthy vegan lunch staples.

Get fancy with your toppings by adding cruciferous vegetables like boy choy or broccoli to bring some texture. Shop locally to add seasonal fruits to bring sweetness to your salad, and grab some fresh herbs to spice it up.

Directions:

1. Grab a giant bowl or plate.
2. Choose the base – arugula, spinach, lettuce, spring mixture, etc.
3. Choose your vegetable toppings – cherry tomatoes, onions, Kalamata olives, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, etc.
4. Add some crunch with nuts and seeds – sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc. If you have any leftovers nuts and seeds, bring them as hearty travel snack for tomorrows adventures!
5. Add some protein – tofu, chickpeas, edamame, black beans, etc.
6. Top your salad off with some fresh or dried herbs! There’s dill, parsley, cilantro, basil, oregano, etc.
7. Then drizzle your favorite dressing over your salad.

Lemon and broccoli pasta

Lemon broccoli pasta is a simple vegan lunch that only takes minutes! The main ingredients require tender broccoli and mushrooms, al dente pasta, and the subtle sweet and tart notes of lemon.

Ingredients:

• Gluten-free rotini or penne pasta
• Broccoli
• Garlic
• 1 Lemon
• Mushrooms
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Red chili flakes
• Nutritional yeast
• Basil

Directions:

1. Boil a giant pot of salted water.
2. Add the pasta once the water is boiling and follow the directions on the package for the cooking time.
3. Once the pasta is over half way cooked, add in the broccoli. It should be tender, but not overly so. About 2-3 minutes should be fine.
4. Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander, then rinse with cool water. Set aside.
5. In the skillet or in the large pot if a skillet is unavailable add olive oil.
6. Once the oil is hot, add mushrooms and cook until brown. Then sauté the garlic.
7. Add the broccoli, mushroom and pasta to the skillet, then mix thoroughly.
8. Sprinkle in some pepper, salt, red chili flakes, lemon juice, lemon zest, and nutritional yeast (may be hard to find traveling abroad, but international cities are more likely to have it). Then remove from heat.
9. Taste your pasta dish and add more spices accordingly.
10. Top with roasted pine nuts, or sprinkle with fresh basil, then enjoy.

Recipe adapted from Connoisseurus Veg

Vegan dinner recipes

Here’s a couple of our favorite travel dinner recipes. Each take about 30-50 minutes, including the prep time. For more easy vegan and gluten-free recipes — read here.

Roasted sheet pan dinner

Ingredients:

• Sweet potatoes or potatoes
• Brussel sprouts
• Cauliflower
• Onions
• Chickpeas
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Dice the vegetables evenly, and then place everything on a nonstick sheet pan or a sheet pan with foil.
2. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the vegetables, and then add salt, pepper, and any other seasoning you enjoy (i.e. ginger oil, paprika, garlic, cayenne, turmeric).
3. Set oven to 375 F, then bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until veggies are tender.
4. Add chickpeas then roast for another 5-10 minutes.

Buddha bowls

Loaded high with various fixings and dressing is the mighty Buddha bowl. It’s a delicious dinner recipe that’s quick and easy to make for multiple people. It’s one of our favorite quick dinner meals because Evan and I each get to pick our desired toppings according to our taste buds.

Simply pick a base, stack it with your favorite fixings, and top it generously with a sauce of your choice. Or skip it altogether! It’s your bowl to craft your ideal meal.

Below is a list of my preferred ingredients, feel free to use those or craft your own Buddha bowl.

Ingredients:

• Brown rice
• Roasted onions
• Black beans
• Roasted sweet potato
• Roasted cauliflower
• Avocado
• Tahini or hummus 
• Fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions:

1. Pick a base (i.e. pasta, salad, brown rice, quinoa, etc) for your bowl.
2. Apply the base to the bowl, then top it with your favorite veggies. The vegetables can be raw, cooked, or a combination of both.
3. Add some protein (i.e. black beans, kidney beans, chickpea, etc).
4. Add some fats (i.e. avocado, sliced almonds, etc.)
5. Lightly drizzle a sauce over top and enjoy! There’s tahini, hummus, ranch, BBQ sauce, chipotle aoili, and much more.

Tip: If you want to spice up your bowl, try a new sauce! Countries, states and cities can have different sauce options from your hometown. For instance, in Spain, there’s salsa brava sauce that’s both sweet and slightly tangy, while Kiev, Ukraine had more fermented toppings to choose from.

With each of these lunch ideas in mind, don’t be afraid to try a new topping, vegetable, spice or food item that inspires your inner chef. You may end up loving it, and buying it as a souvenir when you return home!

Additional vegan and travel resources

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