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Blue Apron Subscription Box Review + Coupon – June 2016

Lindsey Morse
ByLindsey MorseApr 12, 2017 | 4 comments

BlueApron-June-2016-Box

Blue Apron
4.5 overall rating
27 Ratings | 18 Reviews

Blue Apron is a subscription meal delivery service. Every week, they send seasonal recipes created by their culinary team and all of the pre-measured ingredients you need to make them at home.

Check out all of our reviews of Meal Delivery Services to see every meal kit subscription box option!

BlueApron-June-2016-Inside

In addition to their 2-Person Subscription Plan, which features seasonally-inspired meals for two, Blue Apron also offers a Family Plan that features kid-friendly recipes and family-style meals for four. (Note that this is a review of the 2-Person Subscription Plan.)

Blue Apron also offers a monthly add-on wine subscription. You can find a review of that subscription here.

It’s easy to skip deliveries and cancel your subscription through the Blue Apron website.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

BlueApron-June-2016-Contents

The Subscription Box: Blue Apron

The Cost: $59.94 for 3 recipes on the 2-Person Plan, $69.92 for 2 recipes on the Family Plan, $139.84 for 4 recipes on the Family Plan.

COUPON: Get two free meals on your first order! No code needed, just use this link

The Products: Fresh ingredients and recipes to make healthy meals at home.

Ships to: US

Check out all of our Blue Apron Reviews and find other meal boxes in the Meal Subscription Box Directory!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

BlueApron-June-2016-AllRecipes

When I placed my order with Blue Apron, I was automatically assigned 3 recipes; however, it was easy to go back into my account to pick new ones. Certain combinations of dishes are not allowed, though, so depending on which recipes I selected first, certain other recipes became unavailable.

(Check out the weekly Blue Apron Menu to see what's coming up!)

BlueApron-June-2016-Newsletter

Inside each box, Blue Apron includes their newsletter, “From the Farm.”

BlueApron-June-2016-NewsletterBack

Unlike many meal boxes, Blue Apron doesn’t group their ingredients by recipe. I like that this limits packaging, but it does slow down the meal preparation process slightly. (I also try to quarantine the Blue Apron ingredients in my fridge, so I don’t use a recipe ingredient for something else by mistake.) The “knick knacks” for each recipe are bagged together, though, which helps.

Recipe #1- Lemon-Butter Salmon with Creamy Barley & Zucchini Salad

Calories: 795 per serving

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25-35 minutes

BlueApron-June-2016-SalmonCard

I couldn’t wait for this Blue Apron box to arrive! I was really excited about the meals they had available for the week. They all sounded delicious!

BlueApron-June-2016-SalmonPrep

I’ve been trying to incorporate more grains into my cooking, so this recipe jumped out at me right away. Since this dish contained salmon, I decided to make it first (so the fish would be as fresh as possible).

Prep for this dish was pretty simple. I cleaned all of the produce and then zested and sliced a lemon, diced a zucchini, and chopped some dill.

BlueApron-June-2016-SalmonSpinach

Since it would take awhile to cook, I began by boiling the barley in salted water.

While it cooked, I sautéed spinach with some lemon zest and salt & pepper.

BlueApron-June-2016-SalmonZucchini

Next, I cooked the zucchini in a sauté pan, followed by the salmon fillets.

When the barley was ready, I drained it and then mixed in some sour cream, the spinach and zucchini, dill, and some lemon juice. I divided it between two bowls, and topped each one with salmon.

BlueApron-June-2016-SalmonPlated

This dish was pretty tasty! I would never think to add barley to a dish like this, but I thought it was a nice change from what I would normally pick (probably rice or noodles). The barley could have used a little bit more flavor, I think (perhaps a little spice?), but other than that I liked it.

Recipe #2- Muffuletta-Style Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Baby Romaine & Pistachio Salad

Calories: 775 per serving

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15-25 minutes

BlueApron-June-2016-SandwichRecipe

I love muffuletta sandwiches, but I’ve never tried making them myself at home before!

BlueApron-June-2016-SandwichPrep

To prep for this dish, I chopped olives, peppers, celery, parsley, and shallot, and I cleaned the lettuce I received.

BlueApron-June-2016-SandwichDressing

First, I make the vinaigrette dressing by whisking together shallots, vinegar, olive oil, and salt & pepper.

BlueApron-June-2016-SandwichMix

Next, I made the sandwich filling by combining olives, celery, parsley, and some of the vinaigrette.

BlueApron-June-2016-SandwichPrepared

To assemble the sandwiches, I placed provolone onto slices of white bread and divided the filling between two of the slices.

BlueApron-June-2016-SandwichGrilling

I cooked the sandwiches in a hot skillet with a little olive oil, until the bread browned and the cheese melted.

BlueApron-June-2016-SandwichSalad

Lastly, I tossed the lettuce with the remaining vinaigrette, parsley, and pistachios, and I plated it alongside the sandwiches.

BlueApron-June-2016-SandwichPlated

These sandwiches were pretty tasty, but I didn’t think they were nearly as good as authentic muffulettas. The flavors were good, but I missed the meatiness that I often associate with muffulettas!

Recipe #3- Chicken Piccata with Fusilli Pasta & Garlic Chives

Calories: 760 per serving

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20-30 minutes

BlueApron-June-2016-ChickenRecipe

The last dish I selected for this box was Chicken Piccata with Fusilli Pasta & Garlic Chives.

BlueApron-June-2016-ChickenPrep

I began by prepping my veggies and cooking the pasta.

BlueApron-June-2016-ChickenCooking

Next, I cooked the chicken. I dredged each thigh in seasoned flour and then cooked the thighs in a pan with some butter. When the chicken was done, I made the piccata sauce by adding demi-glace, capers, parsley, lemon juice, and some water to the pan and cooking it until it thickened.

BlueApron-June-2016-ChickenChives

In a separate pan, I sautéed chopped garlic chives with some lemon juice and olive oil. I then mixed this into the cooked pasta to make the sauce. I divided the pasta between two plates and topped each one with chicken and sauce.

BlueApron-June-2016-ChickenPlated

This dish was fantastic! The chicken was delicious, and I loved the tangy, rich sauce!

Verdict: This was a pretty good box from Blue Apron. My favorite meal was definitely the Chicken Piccata, but the other dishes were good too. All of the ingredients in this box arrived in great condition, and I like that the recipe cards are well designed and easy to follow. Value wise, Blue Apron is competitively priced (about the same cost per meal as Hello Fresh and cheaper than Plated), and I do feel that the ingredients they send are high quality. The biggest issue for me is with their meal variety. While they technically have 6 meals to choose from each week, not all meal combinations are available. I would love to see them offer a more diverse selection.

Do you subscribe to Blue Apron?

Starting at $60.95
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Blue Apron (starting at $47.95 per week) is one of the most well-known meal kit delivery service subscription boxes. Blue Apron creates bistro-inspired recipes (for 2 or 4 people) and sends members the pre-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions they need to complete up to 4 of them... read more.

Lindsey Morse
Lindsey Morse

Lindsey is a professional baker, cold brew coffee addict, and rosé aficionado who loves writing about food and wine. When she’s not sharing her love of subscription boxes with the world, you’ll find her in the podcasting studio, perfecting her cake decorating techniques, or cursing her way through the New York Times daily crossword puzzle. 


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4 comments

nursermk

Nice review, as always great pics and your candor iis appreciated. I agree a good Muffelletta Sand is a multilayered tasty and filling meal, and this was more of a snack like cousin to the original,

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Cindy

Is the structure such that you cannot pick all meals with a ‘meat’ in it? I would not consider that sandwich a dinner.

Thanks.

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Cpc

How is 2 grilled cheese sandwiches worth 20.00? And you have to cook it? I can go out to eat a real meal for 20.00 for the two of us and not cook. I just can not justify the cost. Especially when they throw a cheapo meal in

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Ragan

I don’t eat white rice so I always think of barley. (Or sometimes whole wheat orzo, which I recently discovered and love.)

The instructions seem simple, which is nice.

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