This Purple Carrot meal kit review lands on a qualified yes for cooks who want vegan food with actual range, rather than a box of substitute protein performing a familiar routine. WIRED gave the service 8 out of 10 after its omnivore food critic tested five meals and add-ons, calling the cooked meal kits among the best food they had made from a delivery service. That does not establish that Purple Carrot beats meat-oriented competitors on taste. It records one experienced reviewer’s judgment, albeit one based on testing meal kits over the prior two years.
The verdict is less controversial than the marketing copy: reviewers repeatedly liked the flavor, recipes and condition of the produce, while warning that these are often cooking projects, not a fast escape hatch from dinner.
Is Purple Carrot worth it for omnivores?
Probably, if plant-based variety and hands-on cooking are the point. WIRED’s reviewer said the kits handled new recipe ideas better than most meal kits aimed at meat eaters and praised dishes that centered vegetables, herbs and fruit rather than leaning too hard on soy substitutes. The same review found the prepared, ready-to-eat meals less compelling than the cook-it-yourself kits, in part because they used seitan more often.
Bon Appétit’s omnivore tester also reported a positive two-week run through Purple Carrot breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. The publication described the service as entirely vegan, varied and stocked with good-quality ingredients. That is a favorable assessment, not an independent taste ranking against every meat-focused kit.
The convenience tax is real cooking
WIRED lists recipe times from 20 minutes to an hour, with some quick-prep choices as short as five minutes. Its reviewer said a butternut-squash dumpling recipe took about an hour and required a food processor, along with filling and folding individual dumplings. Bon Appétit likewise flagged prep work and multiple dishes as a drawback. The Kitchn, after cooking 14 meals over four weeks, says the menu includes 30-minute-or-less options, but that does not turn the broader service into a low-effort dinner plan.
Purple Carrot sells both meal kits and prepared meals, plus add-ons such as breakfasts, lunches and groceries, according to Bon Appétit and The Kitchn. Ingredients generally arrive grouped by recipe, both WIRED and Bon Appétit reported, which at least prevents the refrigerator from becoming a scavenger hunt.
Terms to check before checkout
- Published prices conflict. WIRED reported $13 to $15 per serving for kits and a $65 minimum; Bon Appétit listed $11 to $13.25; The Kitchn reported roughly $9 to $14 and a $50 minimum. Those are review-era figures, not reliable current terms.
- Gluten filtering needs care. WIRED reported that more than one-third of meals were gluten-free, but they were not certified gluten-free for celiac disease and were prepared in a shared facility with wheat-containing products.
- Purple Carrot advertises more than 50 recipes weekly and meals starting at $7.59 per serving. Those are company claims and should be checked against the current ordering page.
The sensible fit is a buyer willing to chop, cook and wash pans for vegan recipes that reviewers found more interesting than standard meal-kit fare. Buyers seeking reliably fast dinners, or certified gluten-free handling for celiac disease, should look elsewhere or verify the specifics before placing an order.
This story draws on original reporting from WIRED.
