Purple Carrot is a meal kit subscription box that specializes in 100% plant-based vegan dishes. In addition to the standard plan, they also offer a high-protein line called TB12 Performance Meals curated by plant-based pro-athlete Tom Brady!
I'm not a vegan, but I'd say about 70% of what I eat is plant-based. I'd love to increase that percentage, so I'm excited to have Purple Carrot's help! I'm eager to learn some new recipes that can satisfy my curious palate. Too many salads or basic bowls and I start reaching for the cheese again.
Check out all of our reviews of Meal Delivery Services to see every meal kit subscription box option!
Purple Carrot believes in the healing power of plants, as well as the fact that many plants are less stressful on the environment than meat production. They demonstrate their eco-friendly values in their recyclable boxes and non-toxic ice packs (with recyclable plastic wrapping). Their site states that "the vast majority of our packaging is reusable, recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable."
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Purple Carrot Plant-Based Vegan Meal Kit Delivery Service
The Subscription Box: Purple Carrot
The Cost: $12.00 per serving or $72.00 per week
COUPON: Save $20 off your first order with code NEWCARROT!
Good to Know: You can skip or pause shipments so long as you do so by the deadline each week. You can see several weeks worth of menus ahead in your account so you can conveniently set your schedule. Note that unlike other meal kit subscriptions, everyone gets the same three meals each week. (Subscribers can't pick and choose from several recipes.)
The Products: Everything you need to make three vegan dinners each week! Purple Carrot expects you to have several basic tools and ingredients, including olive oil, salt, and pepper. They supply the rest, plus an easy-to-read recipe card for each meal!
Ships to: Contiguous US
Purple Carrot May 2018 Review
Purple Carrot Vegan Mole Enfrijoladas
Calories per Serving: 810
Prep & Cook Time, According to Purple Carrot: 30 minutes
Actual Prep & Cook Time: About 30 minutes
This dish was a little confusing to wrap my head around at first. You essentially make a pan of seasoned black beans, then puree them into a sauce. (Be aware, this subscription assumes you have a food processor!!!) Rather than pour that sauce over something, you actually dip tortillas into the sauce, dousing them in the savory goodness. The other half of the recipe involves making a refreshing citrus salad to add contrast to the rich, hearty flavor and texture of the bean dish.
The result is a really unique and unexpectedly simple dish. The tortilla ends up providing a tender, satisfying texture that's filling and flavorful. The beans are warm and comfort-food-esque, and the combo of avocado and orange in the salad make for a refreshing complement. This dish was totally new to me, but I'd definately cook up these flavors and textures again!
Purple Carrot Vegan Whole Roasted Carrots
Calories per Serving: 620
Prep & Cook Time, According to Purple Carrot: 30 minutes
Actual Prep & Cook Time: About 30 minutes
This dish was so simple to make! The recipe has two main parts—roasting the carrots and preparing the bed of savory-sweet udon noodles on which the carrots will sit. The trickiest step was just making sure the udon didn't overcook. (I feel like mine could've come out a little bit sooner—they cook pretty quickly.) The carrots roast in the oven after a quick toss in some oil and agave nectar to complement their natural sweetness.
I wanted to love this dish, but I feel like it was just a bit heavier and a little clumsier than I would've liked. A lot of that is plating—I plated the dish based on how it looked in the photo on the recipe card, with the carrots laid long over the noodles. But the carrots are a little clumsy in such big pieces. I'd probably chop them into chunks and mix them in with the noodles. Oh, and the noodles themselves were yummy, but a little one-note. There are bok choy and edamame mixed into the noodles, but the flavors sort of meld together into one. If I made this again, I think I might make fewer noodles and up the greens, so that it is more like a noodle salad and less like a noodle-heavy lo mein type of dish. In short, I liked all of the ideas happening in this recipe, but everything all together didn't feel quite right.
Purple Carrot Vegan Portobello Mushroom BLT
Calories: 780
Prep & Cook Time, According to Purple Carrot: 30 minutes
Actual Prep & Cook Time: About 30 minutes
This twist on a BLT uses mushrooms marinated in barbecue flavors to replace the traditional bacon. It was super easy to cut, coat, and leave aside the portobello mushrooms—they picked up the flavors of the spices super quickly, and I immediately wondered how yummy this recipe might be if I left them to marinate for an hour or even overnight instead of a quick few minutes!
I was pleased with the lip-smacking flavors that I created in this dish, though in future iterations, I'd probably go lighter on the liquid smoke (which was way stronger than it needed to be). I also need to work on my steak fries. The oven-baked ones I made via the recipe were delicious, no doubt, but they lacked the crispy finish of traditional fries. I don't know if I cut them too thick or didn't cook them quite long enough... Either way, this is a recipe I'll be making again, so I'll definitely do some experimenting!
Verdict: I really appreciated the uniqueness that this box introduced. The enfrijoladas and the roasted carrots with Asian-inspired flavors were dishes/combinations I hadn't delved into before, so I liked introducing my taste buds to those new experiences. That said, there were little things—the balance of flavors/ingredients, namely—that I wasn't in love within these recipes. The experimentation and practice in the kitchen, though? That's a lot of fun. Servings are $12.00 a pop, based on the price of the box, which is pricey for something I'm making at home. (Though it's probably on par with something I'd get as takeout food.)
To Wrap Up:
Can I still get this box if I sign up today? No. Purple Carrot rotates it offerings week to week. However, you can sometimes find recent recipes on the Purple Carrot site!
Coupon - Save $20 off your first order with code NEWCARROT!
Value Breakdown: Each serving costs $12.00, meaning this box cost $72.00.
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