Cold meal ideas — Au Menu

Cold recipes for a starter, main and dessert.

Au Menu helps you choose meals and plan your shopping.

Dishes for your next meals

North African and Middle Eastern
Houmous and raw vegetable wraps
Tortillas filled with houmous, carrots, cucumber and rocket.
15 min active time
Asian
Cold soba noodles
Cold soba noodles served with plant-based tsuyu, spring onion and nori.
16 min active time
Mediterranean
Vitello tonnato
Thinly sliced cold veal covered with a tuna and caper sauce.
35 min active time
French
Pasta salad with ham
Cold pasta with ham, cucumber and Emmental. Timings estimated by artificial intelligence.
23 min active time
Chicken and raw vegetable wraps
Tortillas filled with cooked chicken, carrots, cucumber and yoghurt.
25 min active time
French
Tuna rice salad
Rice salad with tuna, sweetcorn, tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs. Timings estimated by artificial intelligence.
23 min active time

The meal plan and shopping list will be available once there are seven different dishes.

All recipes to serve cold

Au Menu suggests: starter, main, dessert

Cold recipes for a starter, main and dessert.

Starter

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North African and Middle Eastern
Chickpea salad with lemon and cumin
Chickpeas and tomato with lemon, cumin and parsley, without cucumber.
15 min active time
French
Tuna, tomato and green bean salad
A mixed salad of tuna, tomatoes, green beans, olives and hard-boiled eggs.
25 min active time
Italian
Caprese salad
Ripe tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and basil with olive oil.
10 min active time
Asian
Cucumber and sesame salad
Crunchy cucumber dressed with soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame seeds.
12 min active time

Main

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Mediterranean
Vitello tonnato
Thinly sliced cold veal covered with a tuna and caper sauce.
35 min active time
French
Tuna rice salad
Rice salad with tuna, sweetcorn, tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs. Timings estimated by artificial intelligence.
23 min active time
North African and Middle Eastern
Houmous and raw vegetable wraps
Tortillas filled with houmous, carrots, cucumber and rocket.
15 min active time
Asian
Cold soba noodles
Cold soba noodles served with plant-based tsuyu, spring onion and nori.
16 min active time

Dessert

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Served cold
Lemon posset
A silky cream with a bright lemon flavour.
15 min active time
North African and Middle Eastern
Orange salad with cinnamon and mint
Fresh oranges flavoured with cinnamon, orange blossom water and fresh mint.
15 min active time
North African and Middle Eastern
Orange salad with cinnamon
Fresh oranges with cinnamon and orange blossom water, without mint.
15 min active time
Fruit salad with basil and lime
Seasonal fruit salad with fresh basil, lime and agave syrup.
15 min active time

Tips for planning your week

Build a salad that makes a meal

Beyond leaves and raw vegetables, include a base such as rice, pasta or potatoes, then chickpeas, eggs, tofu or fish to suit your preferences. Dressing and herbs bring it together. Adjust amounts to your appetite and the rest of the meal.

Keep crisp ingredients crisp

Wash and drain raw vegetables thoroughly. When preparing ahead, keep dressing, delicate leaves and crunchy toppings separate until serving. A wrap filled with too much dressing or wet vegetables will soften more quickly.

Distinguish cold from no-cook and portable

A rice salad is served cold but needs cooking and cooling first. Allow for that time. Keep perishable meals chilled until departure, transport them in an insulated bag with an ice pack and refrigerate them on arrival.

Cool cooked food promptly

Divide a large cooked quantity between smaller containers to help it cool, then refrigerate without leaving it at room temperature for more than two hours. Do not plan to keep a whole week of mixed salads chilled: ingredients and preparation conditions affect storage.

Your questions about these meals

What cold meal can I make without cooking?

Use ready-to-eat ingredients such as drained tinned chickpeas, raw vegetables and bread. Not every cold recipe here is no-cook, so read the steps before choosing.

Can I prepare a mixed salad the night before?

For a suitable recipe, prepare the components with clean utensils and refrigerate promptly. Keep dressing and delicate leaves separate to preserve their texture.

What can I put in a lunch box without a microwave?

A substantial salad, wrap or cold noodles may work if the recipe is suitable for transport and stays chilled. Not reheating a meal does not remove the need to keep it cold.

Can I leave rice salad on the table until lunchtime?

Cooked rice dishes should stay refrigerated until the meal, then travel chilled if needed. Serving a dish cold does not make it suitable for storage at room temperature.

Further reading: Food storage and transport — French Ministry of Agriculture (French) · Kitchen hygiene — Anses (French PDF)