Sporked Staff
Gwynedd Stuart
A lot of classic frozen dinners involve meat. Meatloaf and gravy. Turkey and mashed potatoes. Salisbury steak. Even some bean and cheese burritos, which you might think are veg friendly, contain lard (unfortunately, that’s why our favorite frozen bean burrito tastes so good). But vegetarians need quick frozen dinners, too, dammit! And we’re not talking about vegetarian dinner components, like veggie burgers or vegan chicken—we’re talking about frozen meals. So that’s exactly what we’ve rounded up here. These are the best frozen vegetarian meals we’ve tried in our taste tests.
Videos by Sporked
- Amy’s Bowls Broccoli & Cheddar Bake
-
This mac and cheese bowl topped our list of the best gluten free frozen meals, but it happens to be one of the best vegetarian frozen meals, too. The pasta is firm and tasty (you’d never know it was gluten free), the cheese sauce is silky, and it comes with a layer of crispy breadcrumbs for texture. If you’re in the mood for vegetarian comfort food, this is your jam.
Read the full ranking of the best gluten free frozen meals
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Saffron Road Vegetable Biryani
-
We’ll be real with you here: This vegetarian frozen meal from Saffron Road doesn’t look like it would taste very good, mostly because it looks VERY dry when you take it out of the microwave. You have to trust us on this one, but, really and truly, the flavor is such a pleasant surprise. It’s basic but elevated by ingredients like caramelized onions (yum) and crunchy cashews. Add a little yogurt sauce and, dang, this is a good lunch.
Read the full ranking of the best Saffron Road frozen meals
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Amy’s Kitchen Gluten Free Dairy Free Vegetable Lasagna
-
While we wouldn’t complain if Amy’s added a little (or a lot) more cheese to their frozen veggie lasagna, we still love this little tray of pasta and veggies. Spinach lasagna can be super dry (looking at you, Trader Joe’s), but Amy’s is nice and saucy. The sweet basil marinara won us over and made this one of the best frozen vegetarian meals we’ve had in a while.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen lasagna
Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs
- Trader Joe’s Vegan Green Curry
-
We’ll never shut up about this frozen meal from Trader Joe’s. It’s one of the best vegetarian frozen meals at the grocery store, yes, but I’m pretty sure most folks on Sporked’s staff would argue it’s also one of the best frozen meals, period. The green curry sauce is on par with what you’d get at a Thai restaurant. It’s made with tofu, but not the big squares you usually get—it’s made with tofu skin, which is so unique and texturally wonderful. There’s also green eggplant in the mix, which is so fancy for frozen food. The best part? This meal is totally vegan. Everyone can (and should) enjoy this Trader Joe’s frozen meal.
Read the full ranking of the best TJ’s frozen meals for one
Credit: Liv Averett
- Lean Cuisine Protein Kick Four Cheese Pizza
-
We know, we know. A personal cheese pizza doesn’t seem like much of a meal, but this little Lean Cuisine pizza is packed with protein (20 grams!) and it genuinely tastes good. The sauce is nice and zesty, and it would be easy to dress up with some canned mushrooms or other veggies. Couple of tips, though? As one taste tester put it, “a.) You should cook it in the oven, and b.) You should eat it immediately or it will turn into a frisbee.”
Read the full ranking of the best high protein frozen dinners
Credit: Merc / Target
- Red’s Organic Bean & Cheese Burrito
-
As we mentioned up top, the best bean and cheese burrito we found in our frozen bean and cheese burrito taste test isn’t vegetarian friendly because it contains lard (booo), which makes the #2 bean burrito on our list one of the best vegetarian frozen meals. It’s jam-packed with cheesy, hearty filling that also includes rice. Yes, bonus rice in a bean and cheese burrito. Makes it more of a meal.
Read the full ranking of the best bean and cheese burritos
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Trader Joe’s Chana Masala
-
Trader Joe’s makes some really good Indian food. The best dish of them all happens to be this chana masala, a perfect vegetarian frozen meal if you don’t want to spend a fortune on takeout. The chickpeas are firm but creamy inside, and the sauce is perfectly spiced and balanced—you get salt, acid, and a little bit of sweetness, too. It really is restaurant-quality chana masala, but you don’t have to tip a driver to get it.
Read the full ranking of the best Trader Joe’s Indian food
Credit: Merc
- Tucson Tamale Green Chile & Cheese Tamale
-
Most of the frozen tamales we tried in our taste test were filled with chicken, pork, or spicy beef. This was the sole vegetarian option to make our list, but it was well-deserving of a spot. It’s microwavable, which is extremely convenient, and the masa cooks up fluffy and flavorful. We know what you’re thinking: The average tamale isn’t big enough to constitute a full meal, but this tamale is. It’s a burrito-sized tamale and it’s totally meat free.
Read the full ranking of the best frozen tamales
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
- Trader Joe’s Organic Roasted Vegetable Pizza
-
This Trader Joe’s veggie pizza blew every other veggie frozen pizza out of the water. So many veggie pizzas are covered in wet, flavorless frozen vegetables, but not this one. There’s a good variety of veggies (eggplant, zucchini, peppers, etc.), and they are all flavorful. They’re accompanied by a cheese sauce that really kicks things up a notch. We suppose it’s technically a vegetarian frozen meal for two, but we won’t be surprised if you want to eat the whole thing.
Read the full ranking of the best veggie pizza
Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s
Best Gluten Free Meal
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Saffron Road Vegetarian Meal
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Veggie Lasagna for One
Rating:
7.5/10
Sporks
Best Vegan Curry
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best High Protein
Rating:
7.5/10
Sporks
Best Bean Burrito
Rating:
9.5/10
Sporks
Best from Trader Joe’s
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Best Tamale
Rating:
8.5/10
Sporks
Best Veggie Pizza
Rating:
10/10
Sporks
Matt Crowley
Joe Rumrill
Jessica Block
