Blue Apron is a subscription meal delivery service. Every week, they send seasonal recipes created by their culinary team and the pre-measured ingredients you need to make them at home.
This is a review of the 2-person, 3-meal subscription plan ($9.99 per serving, or $59.94 per week). I normally cook for myself, but having meal kits delivered to my home has given me a way to lure friends over to help and enjoy the recipes with me. It's so much more fun with a buddy if you can spare one. No buddies? You'll have some leftovers then, so this doubles your value! In addition to their standard 2-Person subscription plan, Blue Apron also offers a Family Plan that features kid-friendly recipes and family-style meals for four.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Blue Apron
The Subscription Box: Blue Apron
The Cost: You can choose from a 2 person plan or a family plan:
For the 2 person plan, it's $47.95 ($9.99 per serving + $7.99 shipping) for 2 meals per week or $59.94 ($9.99 per serving + FREE shipping) for the 3 meals per week.
Family plans start at $71.92 ($8.99 per serving + FREE shipping) for the 2 meals per week, $95.88 ($7.99 per serving + FREE shipping) for 3 meals per week, or $119.84 ($7.49 per serving + FREE shipping) for 4 meals per week.
NEW CUSTOMER OFFER: New customers, get $50 off your first two boxes when you sign up here!
The Products: Fresh ingredients and recipes to make healthy meals at home.
Ships to: U.S. only
Our Review
Blue Apron really cares about sustainability, high-quality produce, responsibly raised meats, the success of smaller farmers, and reducing food waste—which is all important to consider when choosing a meal kit subscription to go with.
You'll see the recipe cards right on top when you first open your box.
Blue Apron ingredients come packaged in a big silver cooler bag that's a lot like bubble wrap. Along with the plastic-wrapped ice packs in the box, the bubble wrap bag keeps the ingredients cool while they travel. A lot of the ingredients from Blue Apron come in bags, labeled, but you have to check out the recipe cards to know which meal they go to.
Smaller items like butter or sauces come in a *newly updated plastic* "knick knack" bag so they don't get lost in the shuffle, and those are labeled with the meal name as well. I'm actually pretty stoked that they switched to plastic from brown paper because there was often leakage that got all over everything. The plastic bags are the same as the larger ingredients come in and recyclable as well.
If you choose recipes with meat, you'll find them all the way at the bottom, under this cardboard divider against the ice packs to stay cold.
Ok- let's get to the FOOOOOD!
Seared Cod & Olive Tapenade with Kale & Brown Rice
Calories per Serving (as prepared): 680 calories
Total Time According to Blue Apron: 35-45 minutes
Actual Time: 40 minutes
I usually try to get a seafood meal in each box, so I went with his Cod dish. Mainly because I love tapenade.
Everything in this recipe was easy. I'd say the prepping of all the ingredients took the longest.
First, I chopped the shallot and put it half of it in a bowl with half of the included verjus and salt + pepper to marinate while I did everything else.
I put the other half of the shallot in a hot pan with olive oil and all of the chopped garlic. This smelled very nice.
After it was fragrant, I added the roughly chopped kale, drained + rinsed cannelli beans, with the demi-glace, remaining verjus, 1/4 cup of water, and a bunch of the red pepper flakes. I cooked until the kale wilted and most of the water had cooked off.
Then I added the kale mixture to a pot of rice with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
The tapenade called for mustard which shocked me at first– I love tapenade, but I can't remember ever including it in any that I've made before. But I trusted the recipe and added it the marinated shallot along with the chopped olives, oregano, olive oil, and salt + pepper.
The Cod was easy peasy. I just cut the filet in half, salt + peppered both sides, and added it to a pan with oil to cook. After 6 minutes on each side, it was done.
Spreading the tapenade on the fish made for an elegant presentation, alongside the rice, kale, and beans. I loved the flavors together, and this tapenade was so freaking delicious! Look at the browning on that fish! Mwua!
Verdict: Like my last box, I loved this Blue Apron meal! The tapenade on the fish with the rice and kale was exquisite. I stand by our assessment that Blue Apron food would be right at home at a hip bistro with its unexpected ingredients and combinations.
We also received a steak meal and a bbq chicken taco dinner as part of this box; both of those recipes were also delicious and came together easily, too.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Since Blue Apron 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.
NEW CUSTOMER OFFER: New customers, get $50 off your first two boxes when you sign up here!
Value Breakdown: At $59.94 for this box (with free shipping), you're paying $9.99 per serving, but some plans go for as low as $7.49 per serving.
Did you get some of the same Blue Apron recipes this month? What was your favorite?
