Sun Basket is a meal kit delivery subscription and delivers fresh, seasonal ingredients to your door each week to create three unique and delicious meals. With recipes developed by chef Justine Kelly, the food of Sun Basket focuses on organic ingredients, sustainably farmed protein, and spices from all other the world.
Check out all of our reviews of Meal Delivery Services to see every meal kit subscription box option!
Sun Basket offers two menu options: the Classic Plan (3 "inspired, farm-to-table recipes" for 2 or 4 people per week) for $11.99 per serving, and the Family Plan (2 or 4 "family friendly meals that kids will love" for 4 people per week) at $10.99 per serving. The Family Plan was co-created by Tyler Florence from Food Network!
Within each plan, there are options for vegetarians, paleo eaters, gluten-free diets, and even breakfast-lovers (Classic Plan only). According to the Sun Basket FAQs, these are the options for the Classic Plan, I will be reviewing the Mediterranean option.
Classic Menu Meal Plans:
Chef's Choice: Chef Justine's favorite recipes made with fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Paleo: Quick, low-carb recipes designed for the Paleo diet, featuring fresh seasonal produce and sustainably sourced meats and seafood.
Lean & Clean: Gluten and Dairy-free meals, each about 550 calories per serving
Gluten Free: Inspired gluten-free recipes featuring fresh, seasonal produce, sustainably sourced meats and seafood, plus healthy gluten-free grains. Please note, Sun Basket meals are prepared in a facility that handles wheat, and while the Gluten Free meal plan follows a gluten-free diet, due to risk of cross-contamination, meals are not suitable for people with severe gluten intolerance.
Vegetarian: Delicious, meatless recipes with an emphasis on seasonal produce and nutritious plant-based proteins.
Meditteranean: Seasonal produce, lean meat, and seafood paired with whole grains, healthy fats, and fresh herbs.
Vegan: Meatless recipes with seasonal organic produce, plant-based proteins, and Sun Basket's house-made signature sauces.
Pescatarian: Organic produce combined with sustainably sourced seafood.
Regardless of the plan you choose, you can always log into your Sun Basket account and hand-pick what meals you'd like to receive. If you don't go in and curate things for yourself, Sun Basket will just choose meals for you based on your plan/preferences. Keep in mind that folks with special diets will always have more limited options. For example, there will always be at least 3 or 4 vegetarian options on the menu, but that's it—there's not a lot to go in and choose between.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
This review is for the Sun Basket Classic Menu, Mediterranean box, three meals to serve two people, $71.94 a week.
About Sun Basket
The Subscription Box: Sun Basket
The Cost: $11.99 per meal with free shipping on your first delivery (normally $6.99)
ACTIVE DEAL: Get $90 off and 4 free gifts on first-time order of $65 or more. No coupon needed - just use this link.
The Products: Farm-to-table-inspired recipes and the pre-portioned, high quality, non-GMO, organic ingredients you need to make them. Some items, such as signature sauces and spice mixes, come pre-prepared for you.
Ships to: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, UT, VA, WV, VT, & parts of AK, AL, MI, MS
Sun Basket Classic Menu, Mediterranean box, February 2018 Review
Every SunBasket Menu Book has some great additional information; this month there’s a great little DIY on growing windowsill scallions from trimmed ends of scallions as well as a handy conversion chart for common measurements. I love the added information in the boxes; it really feels like they want you to develop your cooking skills and feel confident as you work in the kitchen on these recipes.
Meal #1: Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes, Feta, and Orzo
Calories per serving: 650
Time to prepare according to SunBasket: 20-40 minutes
Actual time to prepare: 25 minutes
Whenever I get a SunBasket, I try to get at least one shrimp recipe because they’re always so tasty! This was absolutely amazing. The recipe had me boil water and cook the orzo, then prepare the rest of the meal while I was waiting on the orzo. The meal came together super-fast. The ingredients really shone through in this dish; once the orzo was cooked, I tossed it with the feta and the olive oil, and I swear - I could’ve just eaten that component of the dish myself with no accompaniment. But the meal in its entirety was awesome. I loved the different spices in this; I’m glad I was generous with the Urfa chiles as well as the smoked paprika. They both gave the sauce added flavor, and once it was finished, created a really comforting dish.
Recipe #2: Steak with Red Pepper Sauce and Rosemary-Roasted Vegetables
Calories per serving: 580
Time to prepare according to SunBasket: 25-40 minutes
Actual time to prepare: 30 minutes
I love the really easy, get-dinner-done-in-a-flash recipes, and this one totally delivered! I think that SunBasket does a great job with quality protein, and I’m never disappointed in a steak dish from them. I also couldn’t believe how great this meal was with so few ingredients! The real star of this dish was easily the gorgeous purple sweet potato. For many of these meals, the recipe calls for optional olive oil in certain areas to augment with either flavor or the cooking process. While I definitely used the olive oil in the above orzo recipe, I simply tossed the potato slices and mushrooms in this recipe with cooking spray, and it was totally successful. The recipe instructed me to roast them at a high temperature, making the potatoes crispy on the outside and really creamy inside. I also love the roasted red pepper and almond salsa that came with this meal; SunBasket’s pre-made sauces are so delicious, and this roasted red pepper variation is one of my very favorites!
Recipe #3: Pork Katsu with Black Garlic Mayo, Wilted Greens, and Jasmine Rice
Calories per serving: 820
Time to prepare according to SunBasket: 35-50 minutes
Actual time to prepare: 40 minutes
I expected this recipe to be my favorite when I was choosing my meals this month, and although it was very good, there were some elements to it that nudged it out of first place on my list! This recipe originally calls for kale, but they notified me that it had to be swapped out for organic cabbage due to their produce availability. I would’ve preferred some other kind of chard or braising green, sadly. However, many elements of this dish were still excellent! I was guided to make a black garlic aioli to go with the pork, which turned out to be amazing, and the organic, avocado-oil mayo provided in the basket was rich and tangy. The jasmine rice filled my entire house with an amazing smell as it cooked, and the panko breading made the pork crispy and tender. The dish was overall a success, but I didn’t like the cabbage as much as I think I would’ve liked kale. But the dish didn’t take terribly long to make, and was something different that I would never make on my own!
Verdict: I always love receiving my SunBasket. The ingredients are always thoughtfully sourced, and the portions are usually more than generous enough for two servings. I loved trying the new dishes, such as the Greek shrimp, and I’m still dreaming about that purple sweet potato! As always, Sun Basket’s packaging was smart and convenient, and the box was easy to recycle. The value of this box is definitely on par with other popular subscriptions (Plated, Blue Apron, etc), and Sun Basket has all kinds of upgrades and add-ons to completely customize the meal-making experience.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Since Sun Basket menus change weekly and you must choose them ahead of time, you won’t be able to order these dishes unless they are offered again in the future.
Coupon – Save $35 off your first box. No coupon required, just follow this link!
Value Breakdown: At $71.94 for this box, you’re paying $11.99 per meal.
Check out all of our SunBasket reviews and the Meals Subscription Box Directory!
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Which of these Sun Basket recipes look the best to you?
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