#How to make your favorite NYC office lunch at home

Before the coronavirus pandemic hit New York, some 680,000 bodies milled around Midtown Manhattan for work and play each day — more than 10 times its nighttime population.

That’s a lot of sad desk lunches.

But as remote work policies remain in place for the bulk of the city’s desk jockeys, some devotees of urban fast-casual chains actually miss the grab-and-go lunches of pre-pandemic times.

Broadway musician Mat Eisenstein, for example, used to order the Santa Fe salad from grab-and-go staple Fresh & Co. about three times a week. He longs for the Southwestern-style dish.

“If I want to do that at home, I have to go to the supermarket and pick out all the different vegetables, and also the chicken or the salmon,” said the 47-year-old father of two, who is currently based in Rutherford, NJ, and was most recently the assistant conductor of the musical “Frozen.” “It’s so convenient, especially for someone who is running around from a rehearsal to a performance. I only had a limited amount of time, and instead of getting a slice of pizza, this was a really nice option. I miss it.”

Eisenstein has even contemplated trying to make the chain’s chipotle-lime vinaigrette at home.

Eisenstein’s in luck: Typical office lunches — from a salad and a grain bowl to classic street meat and food-truck sandwiches — may seem one-of-a-kind. But with the right ingredients and preparation, they’re straightforward recipes that can recreate much-devoured dishes that once seemed workaday but are now tinged with nostalgia for the lunch hours that were. (Yes, you can even make that irreplaceable vinaigrette.)

Toss that sad quarantine sandwich and read on for the recipes of must-have orders at four Midtown go-tos: Fresh & Co., the Halal Guys, the Little Beet and DiSO’s food truck.

Santa Fe salad at Fresh & Co.

This leafy combination is the most popular salad order at Fresh & Co. More than that, its key ingredients reach prime seasonal freshness in late summer.

“It really is the prime time of year to be able to replicate this — not just from a flavor point of view, but also a nutritional point of view,” said Craig Rispoli, Fresh & Co.’s 37-year-old executive chef.

In season now: grape tomatoes, red onion, corn and romaine lettuce. The salad (from $9.75 in store) additionally includes kale to mix in with the romaine, avocado, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses and tortilla chips. It’s all covered by a chipotle-lime vinaigrette, with salt and pepper to taste. Though the salad, as listed on the menu, doesn’t include protein, Rispoli added that grilled chicken, grilled salmon or grilled shrimp would all go well.

“[The salad] has a good mixture of textures and flavors,” he said. “There’s sweet, there’s sour, there’s crunchy, there’s soft.”

First, clean and cut the vegetables into bite-size pieces. Using a large bowl with sufficient room to toss, lay the kale-romaine mix, then add the tomatoes, onion, corn, avocado, cheeses and — if you like — the protein of your choice.

“If people are feeling adventurous, [they] can make their own tortilla chips,” added Rispoli. “That’s a significant difference in the final composition of the salad.” For this step, with any store-bought corn tortillas, cut them into eight pieces, then fry them in a Dutch oven or stainless-steel saucepan with vegetable oil before draining and seasoning with salt.

Lastly, the vinaigrette. With three parts light olive oil to one part white vinegar, blend together agave, lime juice, cilantro, Dijon mustard and, for the special ingredient, La Morena-brand chipotle peppers in adobo sauce — all to taste. If the dressing doesn’t fully blend into a homogeneous mixture, it’s OK.

“Even if the dressing breaks apart, your salad is still going to be delicious,” said Rispoli.

Combo platter at the Halal Guys

No cart required.

You can make this popular order from the Halal Guys in your own kitchen. The combo platter — $9.99 for a large — blends rice, veggies and your choice of chicken, beef or falafel.

Shawn Edelman, the Halal Guys’ 49-year-old corporate executive chef, said it’s easy to source all the ingredients. To begin the process, start cooking the rice. Edelman recommends a basic white rice, long grain or short grain — even something like Uncle Ben’s — but make sure it isn’t a sticky rice. Once it’s nearly cooked, season it with a bit of saffron, turmeric, salt and pepper — the turmeric being key.

“It really brightens [the rice] up and brings that fun red color to it,” he said.

Edelman recommends preparing the salad as the rice cooks, the latter of which can take about 16 minutes, depending on the type. For this step, you’ll need chopped iceberg lettuce, peeled-and-diced plum tomatoes, a chopped white Spanish onion (washed under cold water and squeezed to remove the alkaline taste) and a chopped green bell pepper.

Next, arrange the rice and salad on separate halves of the plate before preparing the meat.

If you want chicken, grab thigh meat “because . . . we’re rendering down all of the fat, and that’s what’s giving all of the flavor to the chicken, keeping it so moist and tender,” he said. And if you prefer chicken, you’ll need to marinate it a few hours in the refrigerator before cooking. Though the proper spice mix is proprietary, you can make a similar marinade with olive oil, and less than ¼ tablespoon each salt, pepper, turmeric, garlic powder and ginger powder. Briefly sear both sides of the chicken on high heat, then lower the heat to cook the rest of the way. Then dice it up and put it under slices of pita bread to retain the moisture.

Slightly easier: beef, which you can buy ground and blend with the same spice combination while cooking it, like you would a taco mix. Even easier: falafel, which you can buy ready to eat in most grocery stores.

The cherry on top comes in the form of white (creamy) or red (spicy) sauces. These, too, are proprietary, but you can whip up similar versions at home. For the white sauce, add the same spices for the chicken and beef to Greek low-fat yogurt before splashing in some lemon juice to taste. For the red, Sriracha will do.

“It’s got the tomatoey base and it’s going to give you the velocity that you want,” said Edelman.

For the past 15 years, Halal Guys devotee Paul Hill told The Post, he would order the “half and half” (half chicken, half lamb, over rice) about five to six times a month from the iconic cart at Sixth Avenue and West 53rd Street. But since the COVID-19 pandemic largely confined New Yorkers to their homes, the Bushwick-based videographer has only made the trek twice.

“I’ve tried halal [food] at other places, but it doesn’t really compare, so I don’t want to waste my money,” said Hill, 32. “Whatever they put in the secret white sauce is amazing. I don’t trust myself to make it. I’d rather travel every time. I’ll risk it.”

The Lefty Louie and Bugsy at DiSO’s Italian Sandwich Society

Quick to assemble with the right ingredients, a sandwich can hit the jackpot.

“Whenever you get a good sandwich, it’s so memorable,” said Adam DiSilvestro, the 40-year-old owner of DiSO’s Italian Sandwich Society — a food truck making stops in Midtown and the Financial District.

Among the truck’s dozens of options: the Lefty Louie (from $9), which DiSilvestro said is “basically a straight-up classic Italian sandwich” for its simplicity — with ingredients including prosciutto di Parma, fresh mozzarella and a glazed balsamic dressing.

Start with the bread, tailoring it to your taste. Rustic-style Italian bread will have a crunch, while ciabatta offers a soft bite.

“Your local Italian bakery would have these . . . options,” he said. And while you’re out, head to your local deli to get the right meat: certified prosciutto di Parma.

“It’s dry-aged for a minimum of two years,” said DiSilvestro, adding that anything aged for less time results in a chewy consistency and an overly salty flavor. It’s best to get at least a quarter pound, and have the deli slice it thin, “almost like loose-leaf paper,” to have the flavor gently blend, said DiSilvestro.

Find the additional ingredients at the grocery store. Aim for fresh mozzarella, but bufala can add a creamier texture. Arugula, easy to find year-round, “[adds] a little more crunch and bitterness to it.” Meanwhile, shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano adds a sharp flavor and the glazed balsamic dressing — a reduction of balsamic vinegar — brings a “sweetness that goes with the salty,” he added.

First, cut the bread and spread the dressing. Next, lay down the meat and mozzarella, then a bed of arugula. Top it all with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

For something more meaty, you can make the Bugsy sandwich (from $9). For the real taste, aim for Genoa salami, Daniele-brand capocollo and Daniele-brand mortadella — the latter of which is a meat similar to bologna that’s spotted with pistachios and green olives.

“True Italians love mortadella,” said DiSilvestro.

For this, spread the same glazed balsamic dressing on your choice of bread. Next, slice grape tomatoes (“They’re sweeter,” said DiSilvestro) and top them with fresh basil leaves. On go the meats, then sliced provolone.

“It’s definitely an easy sandwich to create in your kitchen,” said DiSilvestro.

Summer Fun-in-a-Bowl from the Little Beet

The Little Beet, a health-focused fast-casual spot, used to draw long lunchtime lines for its customizable bowls that mix grains with veggies, proteins and sauces.

“We try to be as seasonal as possible,” said 40-year-old Trevor Kunk, the brand’s director of culinary innovation. That said, folks at home can whip up their own bowls with fresh summer vegetables now on the menu — and still have room for flexibility. “It’s up to the person that’s creating the recipe to be creative at home,” he later added.

A popular get: the cucumber and feta salad. “It’s a crowd-pleaser,” said Kunk.

Although the Little Beet uses Kirby cucumbers, which are high in moisture and “have a thick skin that’s not bitter,” said Kunk, any cuke will do. Get ¾ cup of cucumbers sliced ¼ inch thick, then combine with a ¼ teaspoon apiece of fine sea salt and fresh black pepper, a ¾ teaspoon za’atar, 3 tablespoons crumbled feta and squeezed juice from about half of a lemon. There’s also an option for adding 2 tablespoons pickled red onions. Combine everything, then keep refrigerated for 30 minutes to 2 hours. (For other cucumbers, like English cucumbers, “I would suggest eating them sooner rather than later,” said Kunk, adding that the shells break down faster and get soft.)

Also in season: green beans. To add to this bowl, the Little Beet’s green beans with garlic and Aleppo pepper require simple steps. First, season 1¼ cup of stem-end-removed green beans with 1 ½ teaspoon thinly sliced garlic, ¼ teaspoon of fine sea salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil, then toss well. Cook in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes at 450 degrees F until brown and blistered, then finish with dry Aleppo pepper flakes, which Kunk recommends buying at Kalustyan’s in Kips Bay, and coarse sea salt.

Serve it over a bed of quinoa (The Little Beet uses Simpli Quinoa, which can be purchased online) — a popular base for its high-fiber and high-protein benefits. Boil 1¾ cup water with a teaspoon fine sea salt before adding 1 cup quinoa, then cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Then turn the heat down and cook for another 10 minutes before adding fine sea salt and black pepper, lemon juice and ½ cup sliced scallions.

Although this could require some preparation in advance, these measurements make four servings for nearly a full week of lunches.

Home chefs can even customize this base to their tastes. For protein, there’s an option for grilling boned-and-skinned chicken thighs seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon juice. For extra flavor, there are also sauces. To add heat, Kunk recommends hot sauces from Shaquanda Will Feed You. Meanwhile, a mixture of tahini sauce with turmeric “gives you that fatty mouth feel without having all the extra fat and calories,” he said.