Lunch Box Series 22: Our 3 Favourite Salads On Rotation!

If your fridge is looking questionable and your lunch motivation is hanging by a thread - this one’s for you! Lunch Lovers, today we’re sharing our three fool-proof salads we come back to time and time again. Big on flavour, low on fuss, and reliable enough to get you through the week without resorting to a Vegemite sandwich for lunch (again).

We’re talking about crispy chicken, punchy herbs, buttery pasta and crunchy veg that actually stays crunchy and fresh. No wilty leaves, no soggy salads or sad sandwiches (and no judgment if you eat these straight from the container!). Grocery lists at the ready - lets get you inspired!

 

Vietnamese Chicken Salad

Fresh, crunchy and downright addictive - this is the kind of salad that earns lunch box envy in the office! Loaded with colourful veggies, juicy chargrilled chicken, tangy lime and punchy herbs, it’s bright, bold and seriously satisfying.

It packs like a dream, stays crunchy for days, and might just ruin you for all other desk lunches. Prep it once, thank yourself all week! Pro tip: portion and store the salad dressing into separate smaller containers to avoid a soggy, sad salad. Dress right before you're ready to eat!

Ingredients:

Chicken Marinade:

• 500g chicken thigh

• Juice from 1 lime 

• 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil

• 2 tbsp soy sauce 

• ½ tbsp fish sauce 

• 2 tbsp brown sugar 

• 2 tsp minced garlic

• 1 tsp fresh ginger grated

• ¼ tsp chilli flakes

• 1 tbsp coriander chopped finely 

Salad:

• ½ wombok cabbage 

• ½ red onion

• 1 red capsicum

• 2 cucumbers 

• 1 large carrot ribboned

• 1 large red chilli 

• 1 cup mint leaves 

• 1 cup coriander

• ¼ crushed peanuts

Dressing:

• Juice from 1 lime

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar 

• ¼ cup fish sauce 

• ¼ cup vegetable oil

• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• 1 large garlic clove minced

• 2 tsp red chilli chopped finely  

Method:

1. Trim pieces of fat from around the chicken thigh

2. Place all marinade ingredients in a large bowl with chicken and coat well. Cover with foil or in an airtight container. Leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours - overnight is ideal

3. Place all dressing ingredients in a jar together and shake to combine. Set aside

4. Place salad ingredients in a large bowl, toss with ¼ of the dressing to soften the vegetables slightly. Divide over 4 containers for the week. 

5. Grill the marinated chicken on a grill or BBQ & allow to cool slightly

6. Slice the chicken and place evenly over the prepared salads

7. Top with crushed peanuts. Store the remaining dressing separately and drizzle over your salad in the morning, or alternatively, take some dressing in a small container and finish at work!

 

Proscuitto Pesto Pasta Salad

If there’s one thing that never disappoints in a lunch box, it’s pasta. And this one? She’s a crowd-pleaser! Think crispy prosciutto, blistered tomatoes, torn basil, creamy mozzarella and garlicky pesto all tangled up in one glorious, make-ahead meal.

Whip up a big batch on Sunday and enjoy it cold straight from the fridge - or warmed up if you’ve got access to a microwave and a little lunchtime patience. Either way, this one’s guaranteed to be on high rotation.

Ingredients: 

• 6 strips of Prosciutto

• 2 garlic cloves finely diced

• Pasta of choice

• 1 generous tbsp Pesto

• ½ Red onion

• ½ lemon

• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes chopped in half

• 200g spinach/rocket

• Handful of basil

• Handful of mozzarella balls cubed

 

Method: 

1. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Follow the cooking instructions on your choice of pasta. 

2. Heat a pan with olive oil over medium-high heat. Blister cherry tomatoes and garlic until softened then remove. 

3. Using the same pan over high heat, place prosciutto strips down. Prosciutto will shrink and shrivel with heat, removing once both sides are bronzed. Let cool.

4. In a large salad bowl, lay the cooked pasta. Layer with tomatoes & garlic, spinach, rocket, red onion, mozzarella cubes and basil leaves. 

5. Spoon over pesto and a drizzle of olive oil and toss salad together thoroughly until coated.

6. Serve into 4-5 airtight containers. Break crispy prosciutto evenly over the containers. 

7. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and salt & pepper. Store in the fridge and enjoy hot or cold for up to 4 days. 

 

Crispy Chicken Salad

Crunchy, creamy, crispy perfection. This is our no-fuss take on the classic Caesar - with golden chicken tenders, crunchy cos, parmesan, and a zesty basil mayo that takes things up a notch. It’s everything you want in a salad: satisfying, flavour-packed, and guaranteed to win over even the fussiest eaters!

It’s a great one to prep ahead and keeps surprisingly well in the fridge - just pack the dressing separately to add right before eating. Perfect for school lunches, work days or when you’re craving something comforting but fresh and nourishing.

Ingredients:

• X2 shredded baby cos lettuce 

• 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 avocado, diced

• Handful of sprouts or micro herbs 

• 300g bacon, diced

• 1 packet of frozen chicken tenders 

• 1tsp chilli flakes 

• Cheddar cheese cut into cubes

Dressing: 

• ½ cup mayo 

• 3 tbsp basil pesto 

• ½ lemon squeezed 

• 2 tsp honey 

 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a tray with baking paper

2. Place the frozen chicken tenders on the prepared tray and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. You can also bake the tenders in an air fryer if available 

3. For the salad, shred the lettuce, halve the tomatoes and dice the avo

4. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a medium fry pan over high heat. Fry the diced bacon until golden and crispy then let cool

5. Mix dressing ingredients together until combined

6. Assemble the salad by placing the lettuce in a large bowl. Top with tomatoes, avo, bacon and cheese

7. Mix through with a serving spoon or tongs. Evenly divide the salad over 4-5 containers. Place the dressing in small separate containers to avoid a soggy salad

8. Top with the crispy chicken, you can leave the tenders whole or dice them into bite-sized pieces. 

9. Sprinkle with sprouts or micro herbs of your choosing! 

 

Lunch sorted, all week long! Good lunches shouldn’t be complicated. Whether you’re powering through the workday, fuelling up after school drop-off, or just trying to avoid another sad sandwich situation - these salads have you covered.

Don’t forget to check out our full range of Lunch Bags and Coolers, Bento Boxes and Nesting Containers, because lunch can be both pretty and practical. For even more recipes, inspo and behind-the-scenes fun, come say hi over on our new dedicated Instagram page @packedby_elaandearth - see you there!