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.
The Subscription Box: Hello Fresh
The Cost: The Classic Food Box (for omnivores) starts at $9.99 per person per meal. The Veggie Box (for herbivores) starts at $9.99 per person per meal. The Family Box (for families) costs $8.74 per person per meal. Hello Fresh announced they will soon offer two plans: Unlimited Meal Choice ($11.50 a meal) or Basic Plan ($9.99 per meal). Learn more here!
ACTIVE DEAL: 16 Free Meals (Offer is for new subscriptions only across 9 boxes and varies by plan) + First Box Ships Free + 3 Surprise Gifts
CODE: MSA16HF
The Products: Healthy recipes and pre-portioned fresh ingredients.
Ships to: The contiguous U.S.
Check out all our Hello Fresh reviews and the Food Subscription Box Directory for more meal boxes!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
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.
This month's box also came with a couple coupons.
Onto the first recipe!
Mediterranean Baked Veggies with Couscous, Almonds, and Feta
Calories per Serving: 540
Total Time, According to Hello Fresh: 30 minutes
Actual Time It Took: 30 minutes
I need to start off this review by explaining a little something. Having received my shipment of 3 monthly Hello Fresh meals the same week that I wound up having my baby (!), this round ended up being very much taken over by my husband. He did most of the prep work while I rested, shouted an answer to the occasional question from the other room, and hovered when I could (attached to an infant all the while). Because of my husband's help, this review is totally a joint effort. Shout out to him! And P.S., I totally thought that I had my delivery date perfectly timed out, but little guy came early. So much for planning!
As most Hello Fresh recipes start out, this one begins with chopping your veggies. These were placed on a pan with thyme and olive oil to roast.
Meanwhile, chopped scallions are cooked down in butter. This creates a fragrant base for your couscous.
The couscous grains are toasted in the same hot pot with the remaining thyme also added.
Veggie stock is added to finish the cooking process. This dish yields quite a substantial amount of couscous for really filling portions.
Roasting veggies is one of my favorite ways to add some serious flavor to an otherwise super simple dish. I think this was my husband's first time using the oven for something that isn't pizza or fries (for real), and I'm glad he could attest to how easy it was to roast some fresh ingredients. It's something I hope to incorporate into more meals that we come up with on our own... possibly even together being that my husband is now a little more familiar with the kitchen. Who would have thought?
This dish was amazing! The optional step of toasting the almonds is highly, highly recommended as it results in a really satisfying crunch. And the addition of the feta adds a wonderful salty creaminess. Overall, this was an impressive and winning combination of ingredients that I will definitely be recreating and tweaking according to what I have on hand. It was agreed that this was the favorite of all three menu items.
Queso Frito Rice with Grilling Cheese, Charred Poblanos, and Salsa Verde
Calories per Serving: 630
Total Time, According to Hello Fresh: 40 minutes
Actual Time It Took: 40 minutes
I have really enjoyed the couple of grilling cheese dishes that I've tried in previous Hello Fresh meal boxes (and so does my husband, Tom), so we were both pretty thrilled about this dish.
I was actually able to be a little more involved with this meal's prep which felt good. First step: two different cuts of the onion and a fine chop on the garlic.
I then cooked down the onion and garlic with olive oil and Cuban spice before adding the rice, salt and pepper, and water.
Cooking the rice this way made it super flavorful!
After coring and removing the seeds from my poblanos, I sliced them into ribbon-like chops. The grilling cheese was sliced up as well (you'll only use half of what's provided to you).
The poblanos are charred in a pan with the larger cuts of onion. They'll get a little soft but aren't completely cooked through. It's a texture that I really enjoyed in the completed dish.
Onto the salsa verde! This was a mixture of lots of cilantro, salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon, and garlic.
The final dish is plated on a bed of rice with the cheese, veggies, and sauce layered on top. And, man, this was another winner! Rarely do I get to prepare poblanos or use Cuban seasoning at home, so this was a really nice departure from our usual dinner rotation.
Creepy Crawly Tagliatelle Pasta with Goblin's Nose Mushrooms
Calories per Serving: 500
Total Time, According to Hello Fresh: 30 minutes
Actual Time It Took: 30 minutes
Let's go ahead and point out the obvious Halloween theme in this dish's name. Very festive!
Per usual with most Hello Fresh meals that involve pasta and veggies, this one starts off with boiling water for your tagliatelle...
...as well as chopping your veggies. Mushrooms and onions make up the majority of the flavor here.
To create the base for the sauce, the finely chopped onion is cooked down with olive oil. I'm noticing here that Tom probably could have done a better job of peeling the onion, but, whatever! From there, the garlic and mushrooms are added. Then, veggie stock concentrate, pasta water, tarragon, and sour cream join the party to create a looser consistency.
The cooked pasta is added directly to the pan along with parmesan and lemon.
This meal was super easy to prepare according to my husband, and I can see why. You're basically only using one pot and one pan. The final dish was really delicious and reminded me of a vegetarian version of a stroganoff. Super tasty! My only criticism is that I wish there was more sauce.
Verdict: This Hello Fresh menu of the week was a big hit! Being pretty out of commission and tied up with a brand new baby, I was initially expecting my inexperienced-in-the-kitchen husband to run into a lot of trouble with having to step in for me. That couldn't have been further from the reality of it! These meals ended up being a lifesaver to have on hand during a truly chaotic week, and my husband did a stellar job at nailing the execution of each of them. Just goes to show how great Hello Fresh is for the at-home cook, no matter your level of expertise.
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.
Do you subscribe to Hello Fresh? What's been your favorite meal so far?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.