Vegetarian comfort food

[WitBeyondMeasure]

I have a vegetarian friend who is going through a terrible time lately. On top of that she has masses of additional life stresses for which there is no reprieve.
I want to cook her some comfort food just to take some pressure off.. one less thing to think of. I'm thinking three or four days worth because she doesn't have much freezer space. Does anyone have any recommendations for really lovely vegetarian comfort food?

Thanks in advance!

Macaroni cheese.
Veggie chilli.
Veggie lasagna.

That’s so nice of you - roasted veg lasagne, quorn chilli& rice, pasta & garlic bread, mash, veggie sausages with sticky onion gravy .

Moussaka (replace lamb with lentils)
Vegetarian curry
Cottage pie made with lentils or soya mince
Homity pie

Aubergine parmigiana!

Lasagna
Moussaka
Veg pies, mash, gravy
Toad in the hole

I like soups. Chunky, flavourful soups.
If you are good with spices you can't beat a curry. (Add frozen bread if rice a problem)

I make a vegetable bake which is basically cauliflower, brocooli, carrots etc in a cheese sauce with breadcrumbs on top.

Ratatouille, tomatoey type dish which goes with pasta or jacket potatoes.

And you are a very kind friend. I have just been through a really terrible time and my friends have been so helpful - in ways like that - and although I might not have seemed grateful at the time as I was so distressed - I really, really was.

The spinach and chickpea gratin from this:

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/feb/24/foodanddrink.shopping21

My all time favourite recipe (if she's 'proper' veggie be careful with your cheese choice though, parmesan usually isnt veggie). I make it so much In the winter and have French bread to pop up the sauce.

Mop up!

I like most soup or lentil dishes ....
But real veggie comfort food has to be pancakes filled with broccoli / cauliflower cheese!

Macaroni cheese is the ultimate comfort food

What a lovely friend you are.

My husband was critically ill in hospital a few years ago and a lovely friend brought round a big macaroni cheese and a homemade cake. So thoughtful

If you can get to a Chinese supermarket then a bag of frozen vegetable gyoza. These are my ultimate veggie comfort food. Failing that, homemade veggie lasagne, lentil shepherds pie or spanakopita are always greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for the suggestions! I can definitely make a good few of those.

And honestly, this woman is the most wonderful, kind hearted and self sacrificing person I have ever met. This is just the tiniest gesture compared to what she deserves. But thank you.

Home made lasagne would. she me weep with gratitude. It’s a faff to make and lovely. You’re lovely to think of it

Fat fingers...would make me weep with gratitude

A grilled Portobello mushroom with melted cheese in ciabatta.

My ultimate comfort food (and I'm not even vegetarian) is spinach and ricotta cannelloni. Cheesy and gooey and warm and soft and delicious. I do a home made cheat version, which is to buy ready made spinach and ricotta cannelloni tubes from Waitrose (in the fresh pasta chilled cabinet) with a tub of fresh tomato or arrabiata sauce and a tub of fresh four cheese sauce. In a medium sized baking tray, tip the tomato/arrabiata sauce in the bottom, arrange the pasta tubes on top of that, stick the cheese sauce on the top and top with a load of grated cheddar. Bake for 30 mins at 180, or until the cheese is browning and bubbly and all the sauce is oozing out over the top. It is absolutely fantastic and makes about 3 (big) servings! It also easily keeps for 3 or 4 days in the fridge.

If you are a good cook I'm sure there's a way to make the same thing from scratch, but the above really is very nice and does look homemade. You sound like a lovely friend by the way OP

Oh- ricotta is made without rennet, so vegetarian - but I guess you'd have to be careful with the grated cheese on top x

Like everyone else said, macaroni cheese! There is a recipe in Nadiya off the Bake Off's book that has a handful of kale in it too, and it's nice to have a bit of green to pretend your plate of beige food is healthy.

You could do a tub of a nice chunky vegetable soup and some fancy bread rolls as well. And I might be tempted to take some sort of loaf cake in a tin for a few days of faff-free pudding.

Just leaving this here

Vegetarian lasagne, chickpea curry, curry with Paneer. Something with halloumi?

Jacket potatoes-
Scoop out the potato and mash with cheddar and cream cheese, mix in some finely chopped cooked mushrooms too.

Scoop back into the skins and bake.

Sprinkle with chives to serve with a hot salsa and sour cream to dip.

This is really lovely of you, OP.

You've had lots of lovely suggestions, so I won't suggest any more, but just want to echo what others have said, in be careful with cheese. Always check if the rennet is vegetarian or not.

Parmesan is not vegetarian, because it has protected origin status (or whatever it's called) in Europe, so in order to be called Parmesan in Europe, it will only ever be made the traditional way. However plenty of supermarkets sell 'Italian hard cheese' - and I'm not talking those horrible tubs of powdered cheese - I mean actual fresh cheese in the cheese aisle, and it's usually available in wedges or ready grated, and that is usually vegetarian. I use Tesco's one, but other supermarkets do them too. They taste just like Parmesan.

Love all the suggestions.

Adding cheese pie to the list