When life gets busy, choosing what to make for dinner can feel like an arduous task… and that’s before you’ve made it to the supermarket, let alone begun preparing the meal!
Luckily, there’s a host of great recipe kits on the market that will do all the hard work for you, including an increasing range for vegetarian and vegan diets.
These kits offer portioned ingredients to help minimise waste and, if you’re planning on reducing your meat consumption in 2026, they’ll help expand your vegetarian and vegan recipe repertoire in the process.
Starting at just £2.50 per adult serving, there’s something for every palate and budget below, whether you’re a beginner looking to improve your confidence in the kitchen or a more experienced home cook seeking culinary inspiration from the sofa.
All our expert-tested recipe kits offer a range of dishes suitable for both vegan and vegetarian diets, so you can pick and choose according to your preference.
Best meat-free recipe boxes 2026
How are recipe kits delivered?
All our tested recipe boxes are available nationwide and delivered direct to your doorstep – so it couldn’t be simpler! Our testers paid close attention to how each recipe kit arrived, with kudos given to the brands that have gone entirely plastic free by using paper alternatives (often recyclable with your household waste). Other eco-minded companies also offer to collect the boxes to reuse, recycle or compost.
How we test meat-free recipe boxes
Our panel – made up of 10 households across the UK – was asked to rate a range of vegan and vegetarian recipe boxes on taste, quality of the produce and overall delivery experience. They were looking for simple yet exciting recipes that added variety to their weekly meal roster and, most importantly, created a nourishing meat-free dinner.
Grab your apron and dig into their favourites.
Organic Recipe Box
Score: 93/100
Our champion vegan recipe box from Riverford is also organic. Testers were won over by the quality of the produce and generous portion sizes — expect plenty for leftovers the next day, if you can resist second helpings straight from the pan! Feed a few more mouths or little ones by bulking up the recipe with a simple side dish like basmati rice.
The recipe card was clear and informative (including a picture of the finished dish, which was helpful when plating up). Our panel rustled up a Sri Lankan sweet potato coconut curry traybake, which required minimal steps to follow — simply chop, bake, and enjoy. The fresh spice mixes packed a real flavour punch and showed less confident cooks the power of experimenting with real herbs and spices.
Our panel also loved that Riverford offer to collect your packaging, which is then reused, recycled or composted. Alternatively, the boxes are 100% recyclable, so you can toss them into your household recycling.
Veggie Recipe Box
Score: 91/100
As one of the more established names on the recipe box scene, HelloFresh has its formula nailed – and offers a wide range of veggie recipes. Everything from ordering to delivery was seamless and stress-free and our panel liked the range of categories, including rapid under 20-minute dishes for speedy weeknight meals.
The panel tried the rich and creamy double mushroom penne, which although simple to make, was satisfying and comforting. At £3.15 per meal, testers felt this box was good value, with tasty and filling recipes the whole family will love.
Flavour Pots
Score: 89/100
Simply Cook’s letterbox delivery service means you’ll always have a stash of veggie-friendly meals on stand-by. Each kit contains four flavour pots, a recipe card and a shopping list outlining the additional items you’ll need to complete the meal. Vegetarians are well catered for, with 58 recipes to choose from, alongside 15 that are fully vegan.
Our panel tested the vegetable makhani — a mild curry packed with chickpeas and broccoli — and agreed it beat any homemade “fakeaway” they’d tried.
Vegetarian and Plant-Based Box
Score: 87/100
We’re big fans of Gousto here at the Good Housekeeping Institute; reliable delivery, slick app ordering and straightforward, seasonal recipes – what’s not to like?
Each recipe is broken down into simple steps (plus helpful techniques and tips), with plenty for two hearty portions. When it came to creating Gousto’s char siu-style pulled mushroom bao buns, our testers appreciated the inclusion of pre-chopped slaw to speed things up and sriracha mayo for extra flavour.
Grubby Recipe Box
Score: 82/100
As the UK’s first 100% plant-based recipe kit, Grubby’s mission is simple: to make vegan cooking more convenient and accessible without costing the earth. The streamlined ordering process proved popular with our testers — simply choose between a regular box (which feeds two people) or a four person box for families. Our panel opted for the aubergine and green bean Thai curry, describing it as a lighter, fresher alternative to a takeaway.
We love Grubby’s overall ethos — not only is the produce sustainably sourced and delivered in 100% recyclable, compostable packaging; but for every box sold, the company will also donate a meal to a child living in poverty.
Green Chef Vegan Meal Plan, from £3.88 per serving
Score: 77/100
In terms of flexibility, Green Chef comes up trumps. Simply pick your diet preference (vegan, vegetarian, lower carb, flexitarian or keto) and you’ll get to pick from a selection of nutritionist-designed recipes. You can also add-on the likes of tofu, soup and dessert bars for a more fully stocked kitchen, so it’s a great way to stick to your health goals.
Most dishes took around 30 minutes to prepare, and our panel was impressed by the vibrant tomato and chickpea curry which was created in just six steps. We also recently tried the veggie cheese burger with honey truffle halloumi fries, from the healthy “Summer Flavours” range, which we cooked on the BBQ.
While the ingredients arrived well packed and with clear recycling instructions for each element, we’d love to see Green Chef minimise the use of plastic in future.
Mindful Chef Healthy Plant Based Recipe Box, from £5 per serving
Score: 76/100
Mindful Chef proves that opting for healthier choices needn’t mean compromising on flavour. From the range of plant-based options available, our panel tried a roasted hasselback squash and mushroom stroganoff and a lentil moussaka with a deliciously creamy, coconut-based bechamel.
Both recipes were well-judged in terms of portion size (great for avoiding any waste) but some testers felt they could be better balanced with more protein-rich beans and pulses.
Considering the efforts taken to measure, plan and calculate the nutritional value of each meal, Mindful Chef offers great value, while the handy recipe pamphlets mean you can always fall back on your favourites in future.
Super Salad Box
Score: 75/100
Cut down on food waste and feel inspired with Abel & Cole’s seasonal salad boxes. Each delivery includes farm fresh organic fruit and veg, alongside grains, pasta and more, and will feed two as a main meal, or four if eating as a side.
The contents change each week, but we tried the roast aubergine, tomato and mozzarella salad, which testers described as a “refreshing weeknight meal”, with an interesting mix of premium ingredients.
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