Sun Basket is a meal kit delivery subscription dedicated to good-tasting, clean foods. According to their site, Sun Basket is committed to sustainability, low-impact responsible farming and fishing methods, organically grown produce, and giving back to the community via food banks and other programs. Award-winning San Francisco chef Justine Kelly lends her culinary know-how to developing Sun Basket‘s simple, seasonal recipes, which feature pre-portioned ingredients and signature pre-made sauces and spice blends.
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, which I’ll be reviewing today:
Chef's Choice: Healthy favorites from our chef. Fresh, seasonal recipes feature top-quality meats and seafood, organic and sustainable produce, and flavorful housemade sauces.
Paleo: More meat & veggies, less carbs. Paleo recipes feature plenty of lean meats and seafood, organic and sustainable produce, and housemade sauces. No gluten, grains, soy, corn, or dairy. (This is the one I subscribe to!)
Gluten-Free: No gluten, just delicious. Gluten-free recipes feature top-quality meats and seafood, organic and sustainable produce, gluten-free grains and pasta, and housemade sauces.
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.
Lean & Clean: Around 550 calories per serving, loads of flavor. Manage your weight and feel great with delicious meals high in protein and fiber, with no gluten, dairy or added sugars.
Vegan: Organic produce & plant-based protein. Creative meatless recipes with seasonal organic produce, plant-based proteins, and our house-made signature sauces.
Vegetarian: Balanced dinners full of organic veggies. Vibrant, creative recipes starring fresh, organic producer, responsibly sourced dairy, and organic pasture-raised eggs.
Pescatarian: Plant-forward with a healthy dose of seafood. Combine the benefits of a vegetarian diet, rich in seasonal organic produce, with an added dose of wild-caught, sustainably sourced seafood.
Mediterranean: Seasonal produce, lean meats, & healthy grains. Enjoy seasonal produce, lean meat & wild-caught seafood paired alongside whole grains, healthy fats, and fresh herbs.
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 a bit more limited options.
This is a review of the Paleo version of the Classic Plan for 2 people per week ($11.99 per serving).
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Sun Basket
The Subscription Box: Sun Basket Classic Paleo Plan
The Cost: $11.99 per meal with free shipping on your first delivery. (That’s $71.94 per week for 2 people or $143.88 per week for 4 people.) After your first week, shipping is $6.99. If you’re serving a family (especially a family with kids), check out their Family Plan for pickier eaters priced at $10.99 per serving.
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 Paleo Meal Kit April 2018 Review
Inside Sun Basket's weekly brochure is a letter from their co-founder and executive chef, Justine Kelly. It offers a great personal touch and is written for all meal plans—not just Paleo! This week's letter put the spotlight on Sun Basket's registered dietitians and all nourishing, tasty advice they bring to the table (literally).
Each meal comes bagged separately, with all ingredients organized in their respective brown meal bags. Simply snaggin' a bag from the refrigerator and diving straight into cooking is so very convenient. It's grab-and-go in your very own kitchen!
Pepper and Onion-Smothered Steak with Citrus Salad
Calories per serving: 530
Time to prepare according to Sun Basket: 30-45 minutes
Actual time to prepare: 30 minutes
I was so excited to dive into this recipe! I'd never considered myself an expert at cooking meat, but knowing Sun Basket's detailed instructions would have my back was a reassuring encouragement.
We received a small, handy insert indicating that due to their commitment to providing ingredients at peak freshness, strawberries were substituted for kumquats in the salad. (I've never had kumquats before, so I was a little bummed, but I appreciated their transparency!)
This recipe was pretty simple—the steak marinated in Sun Basket's pre-made steak sauce as I chopped and prepped the veggies and salad. The steak sauce was GREAT. It was very flavorful, and I was surprised its punch despite it not having any Worcestershire sauce in its makeup! That spoke volumes to Sun Basket's unique skill of achieving standout flavors with natural ingredients.
The final plate! In the end, this meal felt like I definitely could have prepared it myself (without any help or pre-packaged ingredients from Sun Basket), but the ease and quickness of it all was a plus. It'd make a fabulous, quick summer dinner! Their cooking instructions allowed the meet to cook perfectly. I normally am a little wary of eating steak that's pink, but this was deeeeee-licious!
Just a quick warning, if you choose this meal in the future: don't let your peppers and onions cook in the pan too long! I did, and they turned out slightly brown and mushy. C'est la vie.
Sole Meunière with Tomato-Caper Relish and Roasted Squash
Calories per serving: 800
Time to prepare according to Sun Basket: 20-35 minutes
Actual time to prepare: 40 minutes
This was a little daunting, but I picked it for that exact reason! I love that Sun Basket creates opportunities to cook and work with ingredients I never would be compelled to work with myself. And with a recipe name as French and fancy as this? I had to. The background they gave on this particular dish was so interesting!
Here are the sole filets, pre-cooked! I couldn't get over the fact that almond flour could be substituted so perfectly to make this Paleo-compliant. The portion sizes were also WONDERFULLY substantial.
Ain't it a beaut'?! The colors of this dish blew me away. I got to savor this with my parents, and we were all shocked at how it barely tasted fishy. The flavors were refined, mellow, and sophisticated—everything I'd expect from a classic French dish! The almond meal gave the sole a great crunch, but I think I could have cooked it a bit longer for peak texture.
My only wish was that this dish had a bit more zest. A little spice or kick to it—it probably could have used even more lemon!
Moroccan Chicken in Chraime Sauce with Sweet Potato Mash
Calories per serving: 610
Time to prepare according to Sun Basket: 35-50 minutes
Actual time to prepare: 50 minutes
This dish was my FAVORITE. It was also the most complicated to make, but it was well worth it. My foray into Sun Basket has taught me how much I value loads and loads of warm, complex spices, and this dish had it in spades! Moroccan chraime sauce was a star player in this recipe, tracing its origins all the way back to the Sephardic Jews of North Africa.
Lots of chopping was involved in this recipe, as well! I love me some sweet potatoes, so I knew this would be a real treat. The recipe required lots of multi-tasking, so make sure you have your wits about you as you manage prepping veggies and cooking meat all at once!
Yum! This was 100% comfort-food! The sweet potato mash was SO SIMPLE—made from only sweet potatoes, oil, a touch of butter, and salt and pepper—yet it was my absolute favorite part of the meal! Combined with the chraime sauce (which was so interesting to read about!) and the perfectly-cooked chicken thighs, it created a flavor explosion worthy of a wistful, Ratatouille-style monologue.
Verdict: This week's meals did not disappoint! I was once again exposed to cultures and traditions I'd never have known about if it wasn't for Sun Basket. The Sole Meunière and Moroccan chicken were my two favorites for sure, due to their complex methods and unique ingredients—like the almond meal! I would pass on the steak dinner in the future, simply because it seemed almost too simple, and not worth the price. All in all, I was satisfied, though!
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 –Get $60 off ($40 off your first order and $20 off your second order) with this link!
Value Breakdown: At $71.94 for this box, you’re paying $11.99 per meal.
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Which has been your favorite Sun Basket recipe so far?
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