Vegetarian ready meals or similar?

[alison]

As I walk round the supermarkets, I'm getting very frustrated at the vegetarian/vegan ready meals, most of which seem to be based on what you might call "fake meat" dishes rather than vegetable-based ones.  I don't think this was the case a few years ago, because I remember buying some nice casserole-type product from M&S (might have been cauliflower/carrot/beetroot or some such), which appears to have vanished from the shelves in the intervening years. 

 

Can anyone please recommend some proper veggie-based meals which aren't curries/sweet+sour and/or excessively spicy, and will feed several people?  I'd rather not put multiple single meals in the oven if possible.  Otherwise, I may have to find some sort of vegetarian takeaway place this weekend ...

[Pas de Quatre]

Do you have a branch of Cook near you? They may have something suitable.

[taxi4ballet]

How about buying, say, 4 frozen individual vegetable lasagnes and decanting them into a large oven dish so you end up with one big one?

[Jan McNulty]

Higgidy have a range of pies that are vegetarian.  I'm not but I love the feta and sweet potato (if they still do it).

[Jan McNulty]

Asda seem to do a range:

 

https://groceries.asda.com/aisle/chilled-food/ready-meals/vegetarian-vegan-ready-meals/1215660378320-910000975205-1215685642384

 

The Cook websitel: https://www.cookfood.net/menu/main-meals/vegetarian-meals

 

The Tescos range didn't look wonderful.

 

Sainsbury's:   https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/groceries/dairy-eggs-and-chilled/ready-meals/vegetarian-ready-meals/c:1019141

 

Waitrose:  https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/shop/browse/groceries/fresh_and_chilled/ready_meals/vegetarian_and_vegan

 

Lidl also do a plant-based range.

 

 

 

 

[AnneMarriott]

If you can get to a Cook shop their range is excellent.  They deliver if you're able to order in time. I don't recommend any of Tesco's veggie offerings - too small for the supposed number of servings, too flavourless, too mushy.  Sainsbury's a bit better but heavy reliance on curries and "sides".  Don't know enough about Waitrose (no local store).  M & S has some good tasty options but usually only for one or two persons.  Good luck!

 

P.S.  If you go down the takeaway route Indian and Chinese are good options since both have vegetarian traditions.  Chinese do a lot of bean curd dishes and would be mortified to think of them as fake meat.  Indians do lots of bean/lentil dishes and paneer (cheese) dishes, not necessarily too spicy.  The problem with veggie/vegan non-fake meat dishes is the lack of protein ...

Edited June 29, 2023 by AnneMarriott
Addition of text

[alison]

Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions.  We don't have access to Asda, Lidl or Aldi, but I'm seriously considering Cook.

[glowlight]

A couple of options which you can order online for delivery frozen:  

 

https://www.dingdongdimsum.com/products/veggie-patch-for-two

https://www.yorkshirehandmadepies.co.uk/collections/vegetarian-vegan/products/curried-cauliflower (they do other veggie/vegan pies but this is the only one I have tried, but it is delicious)