Hello Fresh is a weekly meal delivery subscription that sends healthy recipes and the pre-measured ingredients you need to make them at home.
Hello Fresh lets you choose from a Classic Plan (choose from 8 weekly meat and fish recipes), a Veggie Plan (get 3 weekly vegetarian recipes), or a Family Plan (meat, fish, and veggie recipes perfect for two adults and two children). I like to eat a vegetarian diet, so I selected the Veggie Plan. Hello Fresh only offers 3 vegetarian dishes per week—where Classic Plan members can hop into their account and swap the recipes selected for them with other dishes on the menu, I've got to take what I get. I'm not a picky eater, so being subject to the luck of the draw has worked out okay for me so far. But I do wish there was just a little bit of wiggle room in the Veggie menu!
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
This review is of the Hello Fresh Veggie Plan, $9.99 per meal, per box. This box came to a total of $59.94.
About Hello Fresh
The Subscription Box: Hello Fresh
The Cost: Pricing starts at $9.99 per person per meal for the 2 person plans and $8.74 per person per meal for the 4 person (family) plan.
ACTIVE DEAL: Limited Time Only! 10 Free Meals Across 7 Boxes + Free Apps for Life + First Box Ships Free. Applied As Discount Across 7 Boxes, New Subscriptions Only, Varies By Plan. One free appetizer item per box while subscription is active.
CODE: MSA10A
The Products: Healthy recipes and pre-portioned fresh ingredients.
Ships to: The contiguous U.S.
Hello Fresh Vegetarian February 2018 Review
I've been enjoying a couple meal kit delivery subscription boxes lately to add some ease to my weekly lunch and dinner prep. So far, my experience with Hello Fresh has been pretty great. Their meals are simple to prepare, full of fresh ingredients, and they're each divided into handy paper bags. Most of my vegetarian meals have been both filling and delicious.
I also love that healthy options are the main focus, and you're able to easily access the nutritional information of each meal with an included info card.
Each meal is divided into its own paper bag allowing for ease in ensuring that you have everything you need in one place. I like that many fresh ingredients are loose in each bag, eliminating the need for excess packaging. Less waste, a smaller overall box, and more convenience.
Boxes are insulated and lined with ice packs.
Onto the first recipe!
Za'atar Roasted Root Veggies
Calories per Serving: 770
Total Time, According to Hello Fresh: 35 minutes
Actual Time It Took: 35 minutes
I love when Hello Fresh features za'atar in their dishes! It's a zesty and flavorful Middle Eastern spice that I've learned that I'm a big fan of through receiving this box for the last several months.
After preheating my oven, I placed my farro in a pot of water with a bit of salt and brought it to a boil. Farro is one of my new favorite grains, and it's become a go-to for easy and filling salads.
I then peeled the carrots and parsnip and cut them into long sticks. They were placed on a baking sheet with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a sprinkling from the za'atar packet.
Next up, I prepared the herbs by finely chopping the cilantro and mint. The lemon was zested and cut into wedges, and the golden raisins and walnuts also received a fine chopping.
All of the above was combined in a small bowl with lemon juice and olive oil (only use half of the zest for this step) along with salt and pepper seasoning.
The rest of the zest was combined with the yogurt and seasoned with salt and pepper, of course. This is also when I added a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and seasoning to the drained farro. Lots of pure, simple flavors in this dish!
The plating of this dish really makes it that much more impressive! A generous smear of the yogurt sauce goes on the bottom of the plate. It's topped with the farro mixture, za'atar roasted root veggies, and the gremolata. Each plate is finished with another sprinkling of the remaining za'atar, the reserved excess herbs, and a couple of lemon wedges. The result? A delicious, fresh balance of vibrantly seasoned veggies, creamy yogurt sauce, and both citrusy and sweet pops from the raisin and lemon. The walnuts give it a nice crunch as well! I can see myself recreating this dish time and time again with slight tweaks depending on what I have on hand. The way that the za'atar and yogurt compliment the perfectly cooked root vegetables is really what makes this dish so special for me! I really loved this a lot!
Crispy Chickpea Tacos
Calories per Serving: 750
Total Time, According to Hello Fresh: 30 minutes
Actual Time It Took: 30 minutes
Tacos! Yes. Yesssss! We love a good taco in this house, and they're so easy to execute. All you need, really, are tortillas, and all of the contents can be improvised. I was excited to try out this crispy chickpea version -- the ingredients are right up my alley, and I've made different variations of this style of taco before.
To make a chickpea crispy, you gotta roast it. So, after draining our can of chickpeas (my husband and I tag-teamed this recipe while the baby napped), we rinsed them and patted them dry with a paper towel. From there, they went on a lined baking sheet with olive oil, Southwest seasoning, salt, and pepper. We kept them in the oven at 425 for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, veggies were prepped: red onion, bell pepper, and scallions. Greens and whites should be kept separate.
The peppers and onion wedges joined the chickpeas halfway through.
Guacamole time! I feel like guacamole recipes are both simple and very personal. Everyone has their perfect ratio of acid to avocado or maybe a secret ingredient to add some creaminess or crunch. This one is pretty straightforward with lime juice, salt, pepper, scallions (both white and green portions), red onion, and, of course, avocado. I was thrilled to find that the avocado that Hello Fresh provided was nicely ripe! This has been a big issue in past boxes, so I'm happy to know that they're working through problems with over and underripe produce.
The zest of the lime was combined with the sour cream and a squeeze of lime juice, salt, and pepper. Meanwhile, I heated the tortillas in the oven by wrapping them in foil and placing them on the baking sheet.
Here's the final dish! You actually get 3 tacos per serving per person, but I wanted to really show what the contents of these tacos looked like without squishing them together on one plate. They were good. They were... not great, but they were good! The chickpeas should have been drier upon entering the oven, so they never really got fully crispy. In retrospect, I'd recommend rinsing and patting them dry ahead of time so that they can dry out more upon entering the oven. Chickpeas aside, the rest of the dish was decent but basic. These tacos made a satisfying lunch, but I feel like I could have 100% cobbled them together on my own without recipe guidance. I really do prefer to step out of my comfort zone in the kitchen when it comes to meal subscription boxes!
One Pan Mushroom Ravioli Gratin
Calories per Serving: 500
Total Time, According to Hello Fresh: 30 minutes
Actual Time It Took: 30 minutes
This recipe came from the Hello Fresh 'Hall of Fame,' so I was expecting good things. It looked to be another simple dish just after glancing over the recipe sheet. Definite plus!
I began by prepping the mushrooms, thyme, and white onion. These ingredients are all so classically savory, I knew that this dish would have that really yummy, almost holiday-like feel.
All of the above were added to a pan with olive oil to cook down for 5 minutes or so. After seasoning, I added water and the stock concentrate to form the brothy base of a sauce. Looks like a delicious soup!
Panko, parmesan, olive oil, salt, and pepper were mixed in a bowl to form the coating for the ravioli. I love that this recipe takes something simple like ravioli into a (slightly) elevated space!
Meanwhile... the ravioli cooked in the soup-like pan.
Once the ravioli was tender, I spooned in the sour cream and blended it into the sauce. The pan was then coated with the panko "crust" and transferred to the broiler for just a couple minutes. It formed a crispy, golden coating right on top!
This is comfort food, but with that extra step that makes it something special. I loved the pillowy texture of the ravioli paired with the crunchy outer crust of the breadcrumbs and parmesan. The mushroom and onion mixture was homey, and the thyme added rich depth to the dish. This one was my husband's fave!
Verdict: Hello Fresh is a delight month to month, and this box was no exception. The meals are consistently simple, and ingredients are fresh. I loved the variety in this box, and I've found that dishes are well-curated with a nice variation in flavors from week to week. Though the tacos were the weakest of all three recipes, in my opinion, they were still super tasty. I simply would have preferred a more adventurous option. At the same time, I appreciate that Hello Fresh keeps it straightforward.
The meals in Hello Fresh's veggie plan only cost $9.99 per serving. That pricing seems to be on par with other meal subscription boxes (Blue Apron at $9.99 per serving, Home Chef at $9.95 per serving, and Plated at $12 per serving).
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Since Hello Fresh 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 $30 off your first box - no coupon code necessary, just click this link!
Value Breakdown: At $59.94 for this box, you’re paying $9.99 per meal.
Check out all our Hello Fresh reviews and the Food Subscription Box Directory for more meal boxes!
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