Blue Apron is a subscription meal delivery service. Every week, they send seasonal recipes created by their culinary team and all of the pre-measured ingredients you need to make them at home. Each meal contains 500-700 calories and takes about 35 minutes to cook.
Check out all of our reviews of Meal Delivery Services to see every meal kit subscription box option!
In addition to their 2-Person Subscription Plan, which features seasonally-inspired meals for two, Blue Apron also offers a Family Plan that features kid-friendly recipes and family-style meals for four. (Note that this is a review of the 2-Person Subscription Plan.)
Blue Apron also offers a monthly add-on wine subscription. You can find a review of that subscription here.
It’s easy to skip deliveries and cancel your subscription through the Blue Apron website.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Blue Apron
The Cost: $59.94 for 3 recipes on the 2-Person Plan, $69.92 for 2 recipes on the Family Plan, $139.84 for 4 recipes on the Family Plan.
COUPON: Get two free meals on your first order! No code needed, just use this link
The Products: Fresh ingredients and recipes to make healthy meals at home.
Ships to: US
Check out all of our Blue Apron Reviews and find other meal boxes in the Meal Subscription Box Directory!
When I placed my order with Blue Apron, I was automatically assigned 3 recipes; however, it was easy to go back into my account to pick new ones. Certain combinations of dishes are not allowed, though, so depending on which recipes I selected first, certain other recipes became unavailable. For example, my top two picks for this box were Cuban Sandwiches and Chicken Cacciatore. Once I selected those meals, the only available choice for my third meal was Cod Kedgeree. (This made me sad because I also really wanted the Kimchi & Barley Miso Ramen!)
(Check out the weekly Blue Apron Menu to see what's coming up!)
When my box shipped, I received an email reminding me which dishes I’d picked.
Inside each box, Blue Apron includes their newsletter, “From the Farm.”
The box was packed very carefully, with veggies at the top and meat at the bottom.
Unlike many meal boxes, Blue Apron doesn’t group their ingredients by recipe. I like that this limits packaging, but it does slow down the meal preparation process slightly. (I also try to quarantine the Blue Apron ingredients in my fridge, so I don’t use a recipe ingredient for something else by mistake.) The “knick knacks” for each recipe are bagged together, though, which helps.
Cuban Sandwiches with Sweet Plantain & Kale Salad
Calories: 700 per serving
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35-45 minutes
I started my week of Blue Apron meals with Cuban Sandwiches. I love Cuban sandwiches, so I couldn’t wait to give this recipe a try!
On the back of each recipe care, Blue Apron provides step-by-step instructions.
I began by quartering a lime, slicing a plantain and a cucumber, pureeing garlic, and cleaning and chopping kale.
First, I made the pickles by soaking sliced cucumber and a smashed clove of garlic in a warm mixture of vinegar, water, sugar, and salt.
While the cucumbers pickled, I set to work preparing the other components for the dish. I fried plaintains, made dressing for the salad (from garlic puree, lemon juice, and olive oil), and seared and roasted the pork.
When the pork was cooked through, I let it rest for a few minutes and then thinly sliced it. I then assembled the sandwiches by layering wholegrain mustard, pickles, sliced pork, and Swiss cheese onto sliced rolls. To cook the sandwiches, I placed them in a large oiled pot with another heavy pot on top. Pressing down on the top pot throughout the cooking process helped flatten them. Who needs a panini press?!
After the sandwiches were cooked (flat, gooey, and crisp), I plated them alongside the plantain salad.
The sandwiches were fantastic! The flavors layered together really well, and I didn’t leave a single crumb on my plate. The salad was a nice side dish, but I found the garlicky dressing to be a slightly odd choice. (I think I would have preferred a honey lemon vinaigrette.) That’s totally nitpicking, though. This dish was excellent.
Chicken Cacciatore with Fettuccine Pasta & Mushrooms
Calories: 575 per serving
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
Next up, I made Chicken Cacciatore.
First, I minced garlic, cleaned and chopped mushrooms, and laid out the ingredients I’d need for the dish.
I then cooked the chicken and boiled the pasta.
While the chicken cooked, I sautéed the garlic and mushrooms and then added canned tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and a little bit of water.
I brought this to a boil and let the flavors meld together. Next, I chopped and added the chicken and some butter.
When it was ready, I seasoned the sauce and added the pasta. I finished it with some grated parmesan.
This dish was another win! I probably could have easily made something similar on my own without a recipe, but it was quick and yummy.
Cod Kedgeree
Calories: 600 per serving
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
I finished out my week of Blue Apron meals with Cod Kedgeree. As I mentioned previously, Blue Apron’s online ordering system limits which combinations of meals are available. Of all the meals that were available this week, Cod Kedgeree was the one I was least interested in, but in order to receive the Cuban Sandwich and Chicken Cacciatore (my top two picks), I was stuck with it.
I began by prepping my ingredients, cooking the basmati rice, and frizzling the onions.
I then sautéed the cabbage in olive oil with some ginger, while I cooked the cod in a separate pan.
Next, I scrambled two eggs, flaked in the cod, and stirred in the rice, cabbage, seasoning, and lime zest.
To plate, I divided the kedgeree between two plates and topped each one with onions and a squeeze of lime juice.
Kedgeree is a traditional breakfast dish in the UK. My husband is British, so, for him, this dish had a certain nostalgia factor. For me, though, it was just odd. I mean, eggs + rice + fish? I couldn’t get into it.
The Verdict: Overall, I enjoyed this box from Blue Apron. The Cuban Sandwiches and Chicken Cacciatore were great, but I wasn’t a fan of the Cod Kedgeree. All of the ingredients in this box arrived in great condition (though, I think I’d prefer if they were separated by recipe), and the recipe cards are well designed and easy to follow. Value wise, Blue Apron is competitively priced, and I do feel that the ingredients they send are high quality. (It’s rare, actually, to see cod and such large cuts of pork in meal boxes.) The biggest issue for me is with their meal variety. While they technically have 6 meals to choose from each week, not all meal combinations are available. That’s kind of a bummer, and it means that you occasionally have to settle for meals you don’t want in order to get the ones you do.
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