Hello Fresh Vegetarian Box Review + Coupon #hellofreshpics – October 21

Hello Fresh is a meal kit subscription box where you’ll get the recipes and ingredients to make 3 meals for two (or 4) every week. Hello Fresh is a subscription, but you can pause your deliveries whenever you’d like. They offer both vegetarian and regular (omnivore) boxes – this is the vegetarian box!

Hello Fresh instructions have very nice illustrations, are clearly written, and even lets you know nutrition info, prep time, and which recipes are best to make first. Even a novice cook can follow them.

Hello Fresh sends all the sauces, bouillon and such in individual serving packets or in off-the-shelf brand name packaging; although it means a little more packaging, they survive shipping better than the plastic cups used by Plated. I like that the outer packaging of the box is recyclable.

Parsnip and Carrot Gratin with Gruyere Mornay and Greens. 45 min, level 2, 698 cal.

Tonight’s dinner was excellent.  Easy to make, you start with what I grew up calling a basic white sauce or roux, they call it sauce mornay or bechamel sauce and go from there.

The first comment my husband made was about the parsnips, he’s never had them and neither had I.   Again the ease of cooking with this vegetable made this recipe quick and without great effort. Hello Fresh has certainly broadened my selection of vegetables that I’ll eat.  We found the gratin very tasty. 

We aren’t actually vegetarians but my husband’s doctor told him to eat vegetarian at least 2 days a week, it’s lowered his cholesterol.  So with that in mind we agreed this dish would be perfect served beside a well marinated steak. 

The arugula salad, well we’re just not fans of arugula, no matter what wonderful dressing you put on it.  I did find the lemon juice did help cut the bitterness of the arugula.  I’m going to try the dressing with romaine, my favorite.  I know I’ll like it.

The gratin was a 9.5.

Brussels Sprout Crumble with Mushrooms, Parmesan Breadcrumbs, and Hazelnuts. 40 min, level 1, 664 cal.

Husband said this was the best this company has ever sent!!!  I think he’s forgotten we’ve had some other dishes that were equally amazing but anyway, this was really good.

This meal was another easy to prepare, perfectly proportioned and delightfully tasteful dinner.

Hubby commented on the Dijon mustard being a really tangy blend and normally he’s a plain mustard guy.

I’ve never used hazelnuts to top off a dish, other nuts yes – but not these.  So this was a nice change in flavor.  I also appreciated the textures, slightly chewy rice, slight crunch of panko/parmesan browned and big crunch of the hazelnuts.

This meal was a feast for the senses.  10+

Autumn Risotto with Butternut Squash, Sage, and Pepitas. 45 min, level 3, 670 cal.

I hope everyone will forgive me for the pictures but we are camping close to Disney World. When I say camping I’m talking about a 30′ 5th wheel RV.  In the kitchen I have a 3 burner stove with small oven that tends to burn items in the middle.  And I was able to complete this recipe just as directed.  But it got me to thinking that if I was in a tent using a camp fire could I cook this recipe?  And the answer is yes.  The only change would have been to sauté the squash first.  

After being at Animal Kingdom all day it was nice not to eat out again. We knew we were going to cook but we weren’t starting from scratch.  The squash was already cut to the size needed so that really made it quick.

My husband gave this an 8.5 and I gave it a 9.5.  He wanted spices and I love the flavor just as it is.  I can’t help it that he’s wrong!

And here are next week’s recipes! Boxes for the next week close on Wednesday nights.

Visit Hello Fresh to select your box for next week!  Take $40 off your first box with coupon code 7UT7K8.