10 Best Vegetarian Recipe Boxes UK | Hello Fresh Mindful Chef and More

Specifically geared towards healthy eating, Mindful Chef has become one of the best choices for easy, fresh and nutritious meals to make at home. Emitting all stodgy carbs, you’ll find delicious and exotic recipes like roasted pepper lentils and olives with tenderstem broccoli, or jackfruit puttanesca with a garlic and bean mash.

The recipes are designed by nutritionists using only fresh, local ingredients, and they're all gluten-free and dairy-free too. Whilst the recipes might appear extravagant, they come with easy instructions that make cooking a breeze. Mindful Chef also get bonus points for giving a meal to a child in poverty every time a meal is bought.

Planthood founders, Will and Hil, moved to the UK from Vancouver and were underwhelmed by the vegan meal options compared to the ones they had tried in Canada. They wanted healthy food that didn't taste bland, so that's just what they've created with Planthood!

Their recipes come packed in sustainable containers that you can reuse or recycle! They are also committed to ending food waste, so they strive to perfectly portion their meal kits to each household. 

The vegetarian boxes from Riverford are filled only with top quality ingredients sourced from the best of local British farmers. All ingredients are 100% organic and derived from sustainable farming, making them the top eco-conscious pick. The meals themselves take around 30-60 minutes depending on your level of skill.

You only get a choice of 6 veggie and vegan recipes per week, but the meals are incredible, so the chances of you not being tempted by a few are slim! Think crispy kale, lentil and mozzarella salad, or mushroom korma and Indian mash. Riverford are also committed to using minimal packaging, and when they do, it's recyclable or collected and reused by them.

Grubby are a company that want to make a difference while they get people cooking. That's why for every box bought or sold, they'll donate one meal to a child living in poverty through the 1 More Child programme. 

Not only that but their produce is all locally sourced and predominantly organic, as well as their packaging being 90% sustainable. If you want to live mindfully but still cook up some delicious recipes, this box is ideal!

Great Food 2 U provide the perfect balance between your favourite restaurant and street-food meals and homely hearty cooking. In a bid to keep local restaurants afloat during the lockdowns, they deliver meal kits from popular UK restaurants. This is an excellent way to support your local businesses as well as learn their secrets to their most beloved dishes!

Some pieces already come seasoned and prepped which cuts down significantly on cooking time. The recipe cards have just a few basic instructions, but if you need a little more guidance, just head to their YouTube channel for in-depth tutorials. Find recipes like a pizza from Franco Manca, or a halloumi souvlaki from The Real Greek. Perfect for Friday nights! 

Wild Radish's boxes are not one for beginners as some of the recipes require specialist equipment, but once everything is prepped, following the instructions really isn't difficult – and you're certainly rewarded for your efforts! With recipes created by top UK chefs, the standard of your finished meals is nothing short of decadent. 

All ingredients are seasonal and produced by local British suppliers. They even throw in a little something to enjoy before and after your meal. The quality of these boxes does come with a hefty premium, which increases if you add on the wine pairings. With only 1 option every 2 weeks for veggies, this is more suited to an occasional special dinner than a weekly supply of recipes.

The kits from Pasta Evangelists are something special. They contain a selection of incredible homemade pastas, accompanied by mouth-watering sauces and organic, local vegetables. Think pumpkin ravioli with a sage and butter sauce, or fluffy gnocchi with a creamy gorgonzola reduction and crunchy walnuts. 

Being solely pasta, you might not want to order one for every day of the week, and they only serve a maximum of 2 so are suited to couples rather than families. These kits aren't so much on the cooking side as they are throwing together the ingredients, but they do get exceptional dinners on the table in mere minutes!

Hello Fresh is well-known in the recipe box world for being ideal for new cooks. The majority of their recipes can be whipped up in under 30 minutes, using minimal utensils and following their easy step-by-step illustrated instructions. The subscription is fairly cheap, and there's the option to pause or skip a week if none of the meals take your fancy.

They offer a range of categories such as world cuisines, low-calorie meals and quick dinners, but there isn't a huge selection of recipes to choose from. The major downside, though, is that there have been a lot of complaints of missing ingredients, and of components which don't appear as 'fresh' as they should be. 

The veggie boxes from Cookaway work a little differently by giving you a choice of 3 paths to follow: Indian, Italian or Healthy Eating. Each path delivers recipes created by 3 top female chefs – the founder of Cookaway, a renowned nutritionist, and a Masterchef finalist. They come with simple guidelines, with each meal consisting of a main and two sides. 

Inside you'll find recipes like portobello mushroom and goats cheese tart with creamed leek and spinach. The main issue is the heavy use of packaging, which, though mostly paper or recyclable plastic, is a bit unnecessary. The meals are also a little expensive, but the ingredients are good quality and the portions are very reasonable.

If you're keen to experiment with different flavours, this is the box for you. You'll find recipes from every corner of the globe, including India, Asia, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Think 'Paneer Makhani', tandoori paneer in a rich, buttery curry sauce, or 'Kala Channa Masala', a nutty black chickpea and sweet potato curry from Gujurat. 

Even though their tagline is 'ambitious cooking made simple', we wouldn't necessarily rate this as beginner-suitable. Many of the (delicious) but unusual and exotic ingredients, spices, and utensils entail more of a learning curve. They are, however, excellent for those looking to level up their kitchen skills in new areas.