This is a fave:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017128-lentil-salad-with-roasted-vegetables

This lentil salad looks and tastes bright, thanks to a combination of tangerine juice, sherry vinegar and colorful caramelized roasted root vegetables.

Another fave:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/fall-vegetable-soup-chicken-sausage/

Umbrian Lentil Soup

I like white beans and farrow, with marinated artichokes, tomatoes and any kind of sweet pepper. Any salad dressing goes with it but I just use plain white balsamic vinegar (Alessi brand).

Minestrone, wilted greens with eggs on top, Ina Garten's cannelini beans are my favorite cool weather lunches.

asparagus parm with an egg on top

Hi Sue.. i am making my switch off salads too. For me the easiest lunches are soups .. I am making sausage & white bean soup today. Unfortunately, Ive been making soup for 50+ yr so most of my soup recipes are in my head or constructed on the fly. Here are two actual recipes that were on frequent rotation last year:

Creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup - Iowa Girl Eats - there for awhile, I was making this weekly! One note: I don't add the milk. I didn't miss it even a little bit.

Zucchini Tomato Italian Sausage Soup - A Family Feast® - I love zucchini in soup-- i think it gives the tomato broth such a nice flavor.

A tip: I have ordered veggie fajitas from a local restaurant and then used that for lunches. It is ridiculous that I buy it but sometimes I just don't have the time to shop, slice and cook. I think I will plan to make some this fall. Refried beans, Fajita veggies (onions, peppers, zucchini and tomato) on a tortilla. I don't stress a tortilla here and there but there are some good low carb tortillas!

I make a lot of ribollita in the fall and winter but it’s very hearty and uses leftover stale bread as a thickener. Other favorites are chicken, sausage and barley soup, chicken and rice, mushroom and wild rice, and cream of mushroom and onion soup. I don’t like freezing soup so we end up eating it for days. Over the past year I have started taking food to our neighbors before DH gets tired of it 😎

I love Aush vegetable soup, an Afghani soup with an abundance of delicious spices and vegetables, yogurt, chickpeas, and pasta. There are many recipes (with many variations), but I use one from the Washington Post. Some recipes call for meat, others do not. The deeply layered flavors—turmeric, mint, cilantro, coriander, lemon juice, tomato paste—are rich and satisfying.

Mtn and bb, I can’t access your recipes but will try googling.

@Sueb20

Here's a video for the lentil one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSy6il0ijoM

All I can think of is soup. What about leftovers from dinner? In our house, we don't eat leftover food after the 3rd day. Since there is only the two of us, I often will make a meal one night and then serve it two days later, so it doesn't seem so much like left over, or my husband might eat it for lunch. What about something over rice? We love roasted veggies and I will often warm up the leftovers and serve them over rice. I actually only eat two meals a day (on normal days). I don't like to eat breakfast early so I don't eat until 10:00 - 11:00 am and then eat dinner that evening. If I get hungry between then, I will have a snack of nuts, a piece of fruit, etc. I am always watching my weight, so I feel like this helps. Much of the time, my first meal is breakfast type food. Today it was eggs and WW toast.

We are supposed to be low 80s again today, but the nights and mornings are cooler so tonight is the first soup of the season! Going out with friends the next two evenings.

I like your every-other-day leftover strategy, @TinaMarie

Stanley Tucci’s Pasta Fagioli (note: I don’t pre cook the kale and I don’t cook the pasta separately, I throw them both in the pot.

• extra-virgin olive oil
• 1medium onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, halved
• 1/2 bunch cavolo nero (Tuscan kale), roughly chopped
• 3(14-ounce) cans cannellini beans
• 3 Cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 2-3 Cups marinara sauce
• 1 pound small pasta, like ditali or gnocchetti sardi
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino, for serving (optional)

1. Pour a glug of the oil into a medium pot and saute the onion and garlic over medium-low heat until soft.

At the same time, boil the cavolo nero in a small pot of salted water.

2. Add the beans, stock and marinara to the pan with the onion and garlic and stir together. Cook over low heat.

3. When the cavolo nero is soft, strain it, add it to the bean mixture and stir.

4. Continue to cook on a low simmer with the lid askew for about 15 minutes.

5. In the meantime, boil the pasta in salted water according to the directions on the package. When it’s done, strain it, reserving about a cup of the water, and place it in a large bowl.

6. Add about 2 cups of the bean mixture to the pasta along with some of the pasta water and a drizzle of oil and mix.

7. Salt to taste and divide among 4 bowls.

8. Add more bean mixture to each bowl with a drizzle of oil. Sprinkle with pepper and Parmigiano or pecorino, if using.

VARIATION: Loosely scramble 2 large eggs in a pan with olive oil. Then add one portion of the finished recipe above, including the pasta, and toss together. Finish with grated Parmigiano or pecorino and a drizzle of olive oil.

I love this one Funky- I saved it and swear that one of these days I'm going to try it.

it looks amazing.

Creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup - Iowa Girl Eats - there for awhile, I was making this weekly! One note: I don't add the milk. I didn't miss it even a little bit.

I love soup and these all sound great.

One of my fav winter foods growing up was a big ole pot of pinto beans simmering on the stove. I’d go to my Mema’s after school and loved walking into that aroma.

This is pretty much how I make them now:

https://grandbaby-cakes.com/pinto-beans/

There has to be homemade cornbread with it — we crumble ours over our bowl of beans, as well as a sprinkle of diced Vidalia onion and hot sauce (both big no-nos for me and I sure do pay for it).

Mema usually served collard greens on the side, or seasoned, boiled cabbage.

For a variety of leftovers, mash ’em up for refried beans or bean dip, or heat and serve over rice.

DH makes a wonderful leek and potato soup I could eat every day. I also love rich mushroom soups, asparagus soups, tortilla soup, Wisconsin cheese soup, and Jamaican pumpkin soup.

I've discovered Mapo Tofu. I make it without adding meat.

eta: still a salad but perfect as a main.

I made this salad recently and my friends thought it was the best ever. It was published in the Seattle Times but there might be a paywall so I copied. After I copied it, I see the ST credited the NYT.

It looks complicated but is not at all. The combo of fennel, dates and green olives with orange was really wonderful:

Roasted Fennel and Farro Salad

This salty-sweet grain salad is filled with bits of caramelized roasted fennel, sweet dates and briny olives, and is bolstered by orange, red pepper flakes and herbs. It’s substantial enough to be a light meatless dinner on its own, or it can be served as a hearty side with simply roasted or sautéed chicken or fish. It holds up well, and any leftovers will be a boon to future lunches. The feta topping is optional and adds a creamy tanginess, but the mix of roasted vegetables, dried fruit and grains is just as good without it.

Total time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 to 3 fennel bulbs (about 1¼ pounds without fronds), halved lengthwise, cored and sliced ½-inch thick (about 3 cups)
• 4 thyme sprigs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• 1 cup pearled or semi-pearled farro
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 orange
• 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar, plus more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more as needed
• 1 cup mixed herbs, such as parsley, dill, cilantro and mint
• ½ cup coarsely chopped pitted green olives
• ¼ cup thinly sliced pitted dates
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta (optional)
• ½ cup toasted sliced almonds

STEPS

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed sheet pan, combine fennel, thyme, a large pinch of salt and black pepper, and 2 tablespoons oil, and toss to coat. Spread in an even layer. Roast until golden brown and tender, 20 to 30 minutes, tossing after 10 minutes. Discard thyme.
2. While fennel is roasting, make the farro: In a medium pot of salted boiling water, add farro and bay leaf. Cover and cook until tender according to the package directions, usually 10 to 25 minutes. Drain, discarding bay leaf, and pour farro into a large bowl.
3. Grate about ¼ teaspoon zest from the orange into the bowl with the warm farro, then halve the fruit and squeeze in the juice. Stir in remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar and ¾ teaspoon salt. Taste and add more salt, vinegar or grated orange zest if you like.
4. Add roasted fennel and red pepper flakes, and toss to combine. Stir in herbs, olives, dates and scallions. Mix in feta, if using, and almonds right before serving. Taste and add more salt or vinegar, and a little more olive oil for added richness if you’d like.

I just made Mulligatawny Soup for dinner(NYT recipe by Sarah DiGregorio). It is really delicious, and makes 6 generous servings.

I love this one-so much so that I even made it in the summer. It’s even good cold! I love cilantro, but I prefer this soup without it. I have made it with both red and green lentils, and I usually make a double batch.

Melissa Clark’s Red Lentil Soup from NYT

Ingredients

Yield: 4 servings

• 3tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1large onion, chopped
• 2garlic cloves, minced
• 1tablespoon tomato paste
• 1teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste
• ¼teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch of chili powder or ground cayenne, plus more to taste
• 1quart chicken or vegetable broth
• 1cup red lentils
• 1large carrot, peeled and diced
• Juice of ½ lemon, more to taste
• 3tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

PREPARATION

1. Step 1In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
2. Step 2Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
3. Step 3Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partly cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
4. Step 4Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup, then add it back to pot. The soup should be somewhat chunky.
5. Step 5Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder, if desired.

https://cookieandkate.com/best-lentil-soup-recipe/#tasty-recipes-23764-jump-target

This is a favorite, although it doesn't help that I like to stir smoked barbecue into it.. freezes great.

Jilly, we make a big pot of ham and beans many times during the winter. DH uses ham hocks but I want ham with no potential of eating a piece of fat on it. Picky eater. It's always better the next and the next day.

I may try chicken broth but we use water and put chopped onion on top of the beans in our individual bowls. Do Texans make fried potatoes for a side and of course sweet cornbread like Oklahomans do at times? Rarely do I make potatoes but always sweet cornbread.

I've posted this before and cook it in a large chicken fry pan.

You can use any type of smoked sausage, but Kielbasa should be cooked a bit before beginning. My recipe looks so much better than the ones in the link below. I also use 3 or 4 packs of skinless beef smoked sausage cut into thin slices so there'll be a good amount of sausage in every bite. I used to buy only one pack but they make them thinner now.

I always use either fresh or canned new potatoes, depending on what I have on hand because they never get mushy, and this dish is great microwaved. I do ad ketchup. :)

Various pictures of sausage potato and cabbage

Mine before cooking which I use a special technique during the cooking process.

Put sliced sausage on the bottom of pan

Add a large head or two small heads of cabbage cut into chunks on top of the sausage.

Chopped onion on top of cabbage

I prefer small new potatoes cut lengthwise, and it will be the top layer. Do not mix.

Dot with a ton of butter, salt and pepper to taste.

If anyone's interested I'll give the technique.

Old picture and now I double it so we'll have more. Almost 25 year old set of Wolfgang Puck cookware. My favorite.

At the end of cooking it gets stirred and burnt.

Oak, no, not usually potatoes as a side, and I vary on sweet vs non-sweet cornbread preference. For pinto beans, no sweetness, but when I make it with certain meals, I do like the cornbread slightly sweet. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. :D

A couple hearty soup/stew recipes that I like.

Chili-lime black bean soup

This one has sweet potatoes but I think you could probably bump up the amount of carrots and it would work fin.

Peanut Stew

Such good stuff here...added it to the meta thread.

@salonva I hope you do make it and love it as much as I do! It is easy to make and both filling and satisfying! I use the same rice blend the author noted: Lundberg Wild Rice blend. I think the combo of wild rice and brown rice works well.

I am betting you have the same weather we do this weekend-- perfect for a book and a pot of soup simmering on the stove!

@cawaps love a good black bean soup! Something I learned years ago from a friend who was the chef at a local restaurant-- my favorite dish on their menu was black bean nachos and he told me the trick was that they used black bean soup as the sauce! It was already seasoned and flavored and perfect consistency when it was reduced just a bit. Now when I make black bean soup, I know that on day 3 I will make black bean nachos just like the now closed restaurant made them.. blue corn chips with black bean soup, gouda cheese and chopped tomatoes, scallions, jalapenos and cilantro on top! Yum! Such a treat!

Love so many of these recipes! Great post, Sue!

Thanks for all these great recipes! I am actually looking forward to cooking, not a feeling I have often haha.

I make brown rice in big batches, then freee in half cup servings. I often intentionally cook more veg than we need for a meal so I can pull a bag of rice out of the freezer, add chopped up leftover veg and season with whatever tickles my fancy. Since an early lunch is often my first meal of the day, this combo keep me satisfied all afternoon. If you don't have leftover veg, you can always use commercially frozen ones.

Here are some great soups from Beth LaManche of Entertaining with Beth on Youtube:

https://entertainingwithbeth.com/category/soups/

I love Lundberg Wild Rice blend. Other than the occasional batch of basmati, it's the only rice I use. It's fantastic leftover as garlic rice, throw in whatever veggies you have on hand. Or pancetta, egg, whatever. Make sure it's at least a day old.

I just made this bean recipe over the weekend and wow was it yummy. I think you can easily re-heat. I have some in the fridge to re-heat tomorrow. I served over brown rice and topped with some fresh veggies (avocado, cherry tomatoes, baby sweet peppers).

https://www.feastingathome.com/baked-enchilada-beans/

Not sure if this is too heavy for you for lunch. I like to make a batch of bean-based enchiladas and then I'll re-heat leftovers for meals.

https://cookieandkate.com/black-bean-sweet-potato-enchiladas/

I love these simple spiced lentils and they reheat very well.

https://iheartvegetables.com/simple-spiced-lentils/