I’ve been trying out Abel & Cole’s organic Super Salad Recipe Box for the last 6 weeks now so thought it time to write a review. At £15 per box it contains the recipe and ingredients for two seasonal salads which it claims will feed two for two main meals or provide side dishes for four at a time. I’m living on my own so unless I’ve been entertaining I’ve been cooking the recipes for myself.
My delivery day is a Monday and as I have generally been making one of the dishes for my that day’s supper and taking the second portion with me as packed lunch the next day. The second recipe I cook later in the week and again use the 2nd portion for lunch. With many of the recipes I have actually also had enough to use a 3rd portion as an accompaniment to maybe a chicken portion or grilled fish.
At £15 I don’t think it’s a cheap option but as I’ve had about the bulk of 6 meals from each box its certainly not extortionate.
But are the recipes tasty and good to eat? The answer is a resounding ‘yes’. I have followed the recipes fairly faithfully although on occasion have reduced the amount of particular ingredients eg red onion and rocket in today’s Italian Roast Sprout & Parsnip Salad. Both of these are strong, even overpowering flavours, and I think the balance was better with only small quantities of these. The recipes are varied so very little repetition and combine ingredients in interesting ways some of which I wouldn’t have considered before.
The idea of ‘salad’ seems on occasion stretched a little far from the dictionary definition of “A cold dish of various mixtures of raw or cooked vegetables, usually seasoned with oil, vinegar, or other dressing and sometimes accompanied by meat, fish, or other ingredients.” Many of the recipes can be served immediately they’re cooked although most are also fine cold – or my preference at room temperature. The only one I didn’t fancy cold was Rosemary Roast Potato & Mushroom salad.
Eating alone much of the time it can be hard sometimes to shop for small quantities of ingredients or to find the inspiration to cook outside of a limited repertoire of dishes. This box provides exactly the right quantities for the dishes, so limited waste, and no frustration of thumbing through cook books trying to find a dish that you have all the ingredients for. And as each recipe only takes 30 mins from start to putting on the plate they fit in well with a busy life-style.
As with all the veg I’ve had so far from Abel & Cole the quality of the ingredients has been high and all fresh ingredients have lasted well for several days if not been cooked on day of arrival.
So all-in-all a thumbs up to this box and I shall definitely be continuing with it for the foreseeable future.
My Plenty Food Project 