If you're looking for a simple yet composed meal, Blue Apron is the way to go.
One of my primary complaints about meal kits is that they often seem to be about two-thirds of a full meal. But with Blue Apron, this happily isn't the case. For folks looking for a well-composed, classic, yet creative take on dinner, there are few meal kits that fit the bill better than this popular (and heavily advertised) option.
Blue Apron is probably one of the most recognizable names in the meal kit world, and for good reason. The ingredients that I received were neatly packaged and high quality and the recipes were easy to follow. They also included clever little boxes for you to check off things that you had done, though this probably isn't quite so necessary for the more advanced chef.
Perhaps one of the best things about Blue Apron's recipe cards, however, has nothing to do with the instructions or the ingredients — rather, it's the wine pairings. Blue Apron has a companion wine subscription service, which we've previously reviewed, and the meal kits are actually paired directly with a Blue Apron wine.
As far as the meals themselves, I found Blue Apron to be simple yet creative. The Za'atar chicken was precisely what you might expect from a chicken dish, with a well-cooked protein, roasted vegetables, and a fluffy couscous base. But what saved it from boredom was the truly delightful Za'atar spice, which I tried on tofu, while the boyfriend/sous chef kept his on the chicken.
While I often complain about foods being under-spiced, this certainly wasn't the case with this Blue Apron meal, as the packet of Za'atar provided was plenty for the roasted vegetables and protein alike.
Blue Apron is also wonderfully customizable, as it provides options for both two-person and four-person meals. Although some delivery services seem to provide rather small portions for the sake of cutting calories, with Blue Apron, I always felt as though there was sufficient food for two full-grown adults.
More importantly, I didn't feel as though I was missing out on my vegetables or skimping on my protein — Everything felt well-balanced and thoughtfully put together.
Another perk of Blue Apron comes whether or not you decide to actually try out the kits. In the spirit of actually making people better chefs, which really, seems to be what meal kits ought to be all about, Blue Apron is actually teaching us to fish, metaphorically speaking, of course. You can now check out Blue Apron's online cookbook, which features detailed recipes of their dishes, organized by date and season.
So if you want to buy the ingredients needed for Crispy Catfish with Coconut-Lime Curry & Kale, you can easily recreate a Blue Apron meal without ever getting anything shipped to your front door. The digital recipe cards also feature the estimated preparation time, nutrition facts, and suggested wine pairings.
Pros: Familiar recipes with a twist, wine pairing suggestions, easy to follow directions, options for both two and four-person families
Cons: Some recipes may not justify the price point, given that ingredients are quite straightforward and easy to find in your local supermarket
Read our full review of Blue Apron's Mediterranean diet recipes