9 Vegan Lunches To Make In October

October vegan lunches are all about balancing warmth with fresh, seasonal ingredients. As fall arrives and the weather cools, plant-based eaters have a variety of options for midday meals. The change in season brings root vegetables, squash, kale, and cauliflower, making it easy to create flavorful, nutrient-packed meals.

Read more: 30 Fall Recipes To Warm Up Your Evenings

Variety is key in early fall, when it’s not too cold yet. There will be some days where you’ll want warm soups and pasta, but seasonal salads and power bowls may also be on the menu this month.

October’s seasonal vegetables like pumpkin, squash, kale, and cauliflower add texture and flavor to any vegan lunch. Whether it’s a speedy squash bowl, a protein-packed salad, or a bowl of ramen with fresh veggies, the variety ensures you never get bored. Each dish is perfect for celebrating autumn’s harvest while keeping you satisfied.

Read more: 13 Unique And Comforting Vegan Cauliflower Recipes

9 vegan lunches to make in October

These nine vegan lunch ideas combine the best of fall produce with simple, delicious recipes. From warm soups to salads and pasta dishes, these meals are perfect for keeping you energized and cozy all October long.

Pasta with cauliflower, white beans, and kale

There’s nothing quite like a cozy pasta dish on a cold day. If you’re a fan of cauliflower and kale, you’ll love this pasta from It’s All Good Vegan. It’s a high-protein lunch option containing white beans, chopped kale, and bite-sized cauliflower pieces. The veggies pair well with the vegan cream sauce made with soy milk, vegetable broth, and seasonings. You can use any pasta you like, but this recipe uses Sicilian Casarecce pasta.

Find the recipe here.

Protein-packed bowl with black beans and tofu

This power bowl is exactly as its name suggests: protein-packed. It’s made with black beans, tofu, and quinoa, which are excellent sources of plant protein. Not only is this bowl full of protein, but it’s also nutrient-rich, thanks to the quinoa and cabbage. Once your protein-packed bowl is ready, drizzle it in a tahini lime sauce and top with pickled red onion. This BOSH! recipe can be served warm or cold and is great for lunch meal prep.

Find the recipe here.

Vegan pimped instant ramen

Make your life easy this October with a simple but delicious pimped instant ramen recipe sure to warm you up during fall. This midday meal comes from Saskia Sidey and is truly effortless. Simply load your favorite vegan ramen with soy sauce, chili oil, bok choy, sweetcorn, and spring onion for a boost and filling upgrade to typical instant ramen.

Find the recipe here.

Roast pumpkin and kale salad

Plant Baes’ roast pumpkin and kale salad is what you’d expect from an autumn lunch. The recipe uses kale, quinoa, pumpkin (or butternut squash), butter beans, and heaps of seasonings and extras like raisins and pine nuts to elevate this scrummy salad. The salad is topped with avocado, cucumber, and a simple maple, lemon, and tahini dressing for a flavor explosion.

Find the recipe here.

Cajun pumpkin soup

Soup is a no-brainer for fall, and this Cajun pumpkin soup by Avant Garde Vegan will be a scrumptious addition to your vegan lunch roster. Spicy and sweet, this pumpkin soup includes simple ingredients such as pumpkin, Cajun spice, garlic, non-dairy milk, veggie stock, and lemon juice. It’s garnished with nutrient-dense pumpkin seeds, chili flakes, and a drizzle of vegan cream. This recipe also recommends serving the soup with vegan cream cheese toast.

Find the recipe here.

Roasted cauliflower salad with dates and tahini

Another excellent warm salad for October lunch is this roasted cauliflower salad by Jackie Akerberg. Dressed with dates and tahini, this salad is sweet, savory, and comforting. Keeping a good cauliflower recipe on hand for fall is ideal since cauliflower is seasonal. However, you can enjoy this salad year-round. Serve it warm and straight out of the oven, or eat it cold. It’s perfect either way. The ingredients are basic: cauliflower, Medjool dates, tahini sauce, roasted sunflower seeds, and plenty of seasonings.

Find the recipe here.

20-minute vegan chickpea and pumpkin pilaf

Try this chickpea and pumpkin pilaf if you want a warming and hearty lunch. This recipe comes from Natlicious Food, and you can make it in 20 minutes. Enjoy the plant protein from the chickpeas, the wonderful texture of the pumpkin and bulgur wheat, and the flavorful seasonings that make this dish so tasty. Traditionally eaten from the Middle East to the Caribbean, this meal is excellent on a cold day (especially if you add some creamy vegan feta to the mix).

Find the recipe here.

Moroccan carrot salad with citrus turmeric dressing

Jackie Akerberg’s Moroccan carrot salad with citrus turmeric dressing is another nutrient-dense salad packed with seasonal fall vegetables. The key components are carrots, chickpeas, cashews, seeds, pomegranate, and an orange tahini dressing. It’s incredibly flavorful and easy to make. You can make it the night before as meal prep for lunchtime, or if you have time, make it fresh.

Find the recipe here.

Speedy squash bowl

The last recipe on this list of October vegan lunches is also from BOSH! and is probably the best fall bowl to try this October. It’s nutritious, hearty, and perfect for chilly days. The dish combines seasonal roasted vegetables such as butternut squash and red onion with fresh tomatoes and bell pepper. The base of the dish is quinoa coated in harissa, and once the ingredients are all in the bowl, it’s topped with hummus, sprouted seeds, and more rose harissa paste.

Find the recipe here.

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