Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service: The Purple Carrot

The Purple Carrot is a plant-based meal delivery service that focuses on organic whole foods. Today I’m partnering with Purple Carrot to share their delicious plant-based recipes with you! I’m neither vegan nor  vegetarian. But I try to incorporate meatless meals into my breakfast, lunch and dinner rotation!

Healthy food delivery services have become a full-blown trend. The idea is that each week you’re sent a box with perfectly portioned ingredients and step-by-step instructions that show you how to cook a meal from scratch! But a vegan option has yet to sprout on the scene – until Purple Carrot! Known for their 100% plant-based meals, Purple Carrot’s team of chefs create unique recipes every week that help you learn new cooking techniques at the same time keep your taste buds happy!

The Power of Plant-Based Meals

Some of the benefits of eating a plant-based diet:

Purple Carrot is a plant-based meal delivery service. They deliver different vegan recipes and pre-measured ingredients to your door each week. Their recipes follow a whole food, plant-based diet, meaning no heavily processed ingredients and no animal products such as meat, eggs or dairy.

How does it work?

They offer three different subscription options and you pay by the week.

• $72 – 3 vegan meals, each feed 2 (or 1) people. ($12/meal/person)
• $80 – 2 vegan meals, each feed 4 (or 3) people. ($10/meal/person)
• $78 – TB12 plan – 3 vegan “high performance” meals, each feed 2 (or 1) people

You choose the plan that’s right for you, and then you receive a box a week with recipes and pre-measured ingredients. Your box is shipped to you on Tuesday or Wednesday! Purple Carrot sources ingredients from farms and vendors across the country. Shipping is included and is available nationwide.

You can skip a week anytime you’d like or pause your membership if you’ll be out of town.

I came home to three of my main meals a week sitting on my front porch. Can it get any more convenient? All I need to do is prep & cook the food. It really does help save time with meal planning and grocery shopping!

Recipes

Now I’m sharing with you my cooking of this week using 3 recipes from my Purple Carrot Box: Refried Butternut Tacos, Tomato Braised Artichokes, and Fall Vegetable Hash!

Tomato-Braised Artichokes (Cook Time: 3o minutes)

Ingredients: Farro, shallot, garlic, artichoke hearts, cured black olives, 1 can of crushed tomatoes, cucumber, fresh dill, lemon, Follow Your Heart* Vegenaise

And yes, all these wonderful ingredients are pre-measured and pre-packaged in the Purple Carrot Box! Everything is clearly labeled in individual plastic bags and bottles ready for me to use!

Step 1: Cook the Farro

Add the farro to a small sauce pan and cover with 1 inch of water! Bring to a boil and boil until the grains are tender (18-20 minutes)! Drain farro and toss with 1 tsp olive oil! Season with salt and pepper! Cover to keep warm

Step 2: Cut the vegetables

Peel and mince the shallot! Mince the garlic! Cut the artichokes in half! Check olives for any pits, and chop!

Step 3: Begin to braise

Place a large skillet over medium heat with 2 tsp olive oil! Add the shallot and garlic and cook until fragrant! Add the artichokes and stir to combine!

Add the crushed tomatoes and 1 cup water! Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer artichokes until the sauce has thickened slightly!

Step 4: Prepare the dill sauce

Grate the cucumber! Squeeze out the excess water! Add cucumber to a medium bowl! Finely chop the dill fronds. Add the dill, juice from half the lemon, Follow Your Heart** Vegenaise, and a pinch of salt to the bowl! Stir dill sauce to combine!

Step 5: Plating Time

Divide the farro between plates and top with the tomato-braised artichokes! Drizzle with dill sauce and sprinkle with the chopped olives!

Artichokes are rich in vitamins and minerals – and they taste so yummy! Farro, an ancient grain packed with antioxidants, serves as the perfect bed for the savory, saucy artichokes! Everything tastes so wonderful with a drizzle of Greek-style dill sauce!

Refried Butternut Tacos (Cook time: 40 minutes)

Ingredients: Butternut squash, red grapes, jalapeños, scallion, cilantro, lime, plantain, vegan butter, agave, chipotle hot sauce, tortillas, green cabbage. (Yes, every ingredient is included in this “magic” box!!!!)

Step 1: Cook the Butternut

Add the butternut to a small sauce pan and cover with 1 inch of cold water! Bring to a boil and boil until tender (11-13 minutes)! Drain squash, return to the saucepan, and mash with a fork until smooth!

Step 2: Roast the Grapes:

Place on a baking sheet and toss with 1 tsp olive oil and a pinch of salt/pepper. Roast until grapes are soft and fragrant!(6-8 mins)

Step 3: Prepare the salsa

Dressed and minced the jalapeños. Thinly slice the scallion! Finely chop the cilantro! Combine everything in a medium bowl and add juice from half the lime! Once the grapes have cooled slightly, add to the bowl along with a pinch of salt/pepper. Mix salsa well to combine! Cut remaining lime half into wedges! Peel the plantain and slice into 1 inch thick slices on the diagonal!

Step 4: Fry the Butternut

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat with 1 tsp olive oil! Add the mashed butternut and press into a single layer! Cook until the bottom is well browned, 5-8 minutes! Stir in 1 tsp chipotle hot sauce, butter, agave,! Season with salt!

Step 5: Crisp the Plantains

Wrap the tortillas in foil or a dish towel and warm in the oven for about 5 minutes! Place a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp of vegetable oil! Once the oil is hot, add the sliced plantains and cook until browned, 3-4 minutes!

Step 6: Build Your Tacos

Cut remaining lime half into wedges! Divide the refried butternut between the warm tortillas, spreading it out a bit! Add the roasted grapes salsas and green cabbage! Drizzle on any remaining chipotle hot sauce and serve with crispy plantains and lime wedges!

Their taco recipe provides the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. Fragrant grapes and twice-cooked butternut squash complement flavorful chipotle and jalapeños.

Fall Vegetable Hash (Cook Time: 35 minutes)

Ingredients: Brussels sprouts, parsnips, red kale, tahini, maple syrup, white balsamic vinegar, tempeh, French mustard and herb blend, fregola, French parsley, dried cherries, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds!

***I love the idea that everything you need comes in the box, even small things – like a tablespoon of white vinegar – will come in a small plastic bottle for me to use. Moreover their ingredients are non GMO, organic, and premium! The Purple Carrot has relationships with farms in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, and they “try to use organic whenever possible.” And all of the nutritional info is online, which is helpful!

Step 1: Cut the Vegetables

Place a small saucepan of salted water on to boil for the fregola! Trim and halve the Brussels sprouts! Peel the parsnips and thinly slice into rounds! Destem the red kale and roughly chop!

Step 2: Prepare the dressing

In a small bowl, combine the tahini, maple syrup, white balsamic vinegar, and 1 tbsp warm water! Add a pinch of salt and whisk dressing to combine!

Step 3: Sear the tempeh

Cut the tempeh into thin triangles! Place the French mustard and herb blend on a plate and coat the tempeh! Sprinkle with salt and pepper!

Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat with 1 tbsp vegetable oil! Place the tempeh into the hot oil! Cook until the tempeh are browned and crisp, 3-4 minutes per side!

Step 4: Cook the Fregola

Once the water is boiling, add the fregola and cook until the pearls are tender, 8-12 minutes. Drain the fregola and stir in 1 tsp olive oil to prevent sticking!

Step 5: Cook the Vegetables

Return the large nonstick skillet to medium heat with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the Brussels sprouts, parsnips, and cook until browned and tender, 4-6 minutes! Add an additional 2 tsp olive oil and red kale! Season everything with salt and pepper!

Step 5: Serve and Enjoy

Chop the parsley leaves! Roughly chop the dried cherries! Add the fregola and pumpkin seeds to the vegetables, toss, and the top with herbed tempeh! Sprinkle entire skillet with chopped parsley, chopped berries, and hemp seeds, and drizzle with maple tahini dressing!

This hash combines all of my favorite fall veggies! Red kale, also known as Russian kale, is a great source of iron, potassium, and protein! Matched with a savory “French mustard and herb spice blend,” which is made with orange peel, celery seeds, and fennel, this meal is nutrient-dense and delicious!

Quick Summary

All of our three Purple Carrot dishes were very unique and delicious. They make me want to continue this creative way of cooking vegetables in my kitchen!

In  our busy life it is hard to have a home cook meal which includes figuring out what you want to eat and then buying all the ingredients. The Purple Carrot addresses this issue by curating recipes and sending all the ingredients in the appropriate portion straight to your home each week. It also stands out in its creative vegan recipes. This service is ideal for those that would like to adopt a more plant based diet and struggle to figure out how to start.

Overall, I think the Purple Carrot is wonderful for those of us who may not always have the time to create a meal plan, shopping list and get to the stores for all of the ingredients we need. The convenience of having every single ingredient for some very unique, tasty recipes delivered to your front porch? Is it awesome?

Want to try out these delicious plant-based meals? I got you covered!!! Use code “MAY30” to save $30 off your first order with Purple Carrot! 

Happy (plant-based) cooking!

***Thank you to Purple Carrot for kindly sponsoring this post. All opinions are 100% honest & completely my own.

RELATED POSTS:

My Detox Plan

Luxurious and Healthy Choice for Breakfast: Acai Bowls

Bellabeat Leaf: The Fashionable Fitness Tracker

MY RECIPE FOR HOMEMADE LUXURY-SPA CITRUS FRUIT BATH