Pura Vida Primavera Mistura Review
Author’s Note: I have noooo affiliation with Pura Vida or Costco. These are my own ornery opinions. Not a paid or sponsored review, as always.
Do I have control issues?
Frozen vegetables are my friends. I’m a single human with a busy career. I don’t have time to wash, peel, or chop fresh veggies every night. I lack the mental bandwidth to worry about stuff wilting or rotting every time my back is turned. Having a quick option on hand in my freezer is non-negotiable. And scooping exactly as much as I want from the bag (and no more!), any time I want, is magic-level convenience.
(Or maybe I just have control issues? Hmm.)
Fierce fire roasted flavor
Anyway. This Pura Vida Primavera Mistura frozen vegetable mixture was on sale at Costco. So I bought a pillow-sized, 4-pound sack. It’s a blend of red pepper, broccoli, summer squashes, and red onion.
But what makes it special is that the veggies are “fire roasted.”
They’re charred black. More than fire-kissed — a flame make-out sesh. Behold:
Fortunately, it’s just the right amount of charring to enhance the flavors, not destroy them. I can’t even toast a marshmallow while camping without incinerating it. So, respect.
This stuff smells absolutely amazing. Even all icy-frozen and uncooked, I could not stop sticking my nose in the bag for delicious whiffs. It’s mainly a strong, ripe “red pepper” smell, but there’s a backstroke of onion complexity and avocado-y goodness. Mmmmm!
Sweet, flavorful onions
Speaking of onions, egad! These are wildly sweet, flavorful onions! I would eat onions in virtually any manifestation. But these guys blew me away. They’re crisp, thick, flavorful, with an almost candy-like sweetness. I think even cruel onion-haters might be won over. Super-yum.
(But for those who refuse to convert, the onions are in big, square pieces that you could easily pick out and give to a more worthy stomach. Hmmph!)
Ripe red peppers
But the bell peppers are the real stars of this show. If you love sweet, ripe, flavorful red peppers, these are your huckleberry. In fact, they’re riper than the typical fresh peppers I could buy at most supermarkets. Bursting with flavor. And that flavor is intensified by the caramelized charring from the flame grilling. *chef’s kiss*
Lightly seasoned
Although there is a seasoning mixture of garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, and avocado oil, it’s really the veggie flavors that shine through. In fact, the seasoning is soooo unobtrusive, I had to check the ingredients to make sure anything was added. Very light, pleasant flavor.
Squashy squashes?
The squash are “ok.” I’m weird about my squash and zucchini. I don’t like mine overcooked or mushy. And since it only takes a couple minutes to cook most raw garden squash, I had major concerns here. Fortunately, the squash are in chonky hunks, which means it doesn’t get too soft. Not disgusting-level soft. Reasonably delicious. But definitely softer than it needs to be.
Token broccoli
I would also add that the broccoli is probably unnecessary in this mix. Or maybe that’s just me? I already buy Costco’s fabulous Normandy Vegetables, which features frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. I like to rotate my veggies so I’m not eating the same thing constantly. And switching to this Primavera Mistura mixture means I’m still getting broccoli.
I love broccoli. But. It cooks at a very different speed than squashes. And I don’t like hard broccoli. Plus, those of us with thyroid nonsense tend to limit our cruciferous veggies. Or at least cook them very, very thoroughly. And that’s hard to do without ruining the delicate squashes.
There’s not a lot of broccoli in this mix, so it just feels like a weird afterthought. But nobody asked me, did they?
Serving the fire-roasted veggies
I followed the preferred cooking directions on the bag. I cooked mine in a ceramic skillet for 10 minutes in a little coconut oil. The veggies are already seasoned and don’t need anything else. Not even salt! A true miracle. I am a salt fiend.
I served mine with sage-butter salmon (Orca Bay Keta Salmon, review here) and a baked potato with Greek yogurt (Cabot brand, review here.) It hit the spot. Wherever that spot is.
Ingredients in Pura Vida Primavera Mistura
Here are the ingredients, from the label:
- Red Bell Pepper
- Zucchini
- Yellow Squash
- Red Onions
- Broccoli
- Avocado Oil
- Garlic Powder
- Himalayan Pink Salt
- Onion Powder
- Black Pepper
This is a Canadian company, but the product is made in the USA.
Additional information from the label:
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Non-GMO Project Verified
- No Artificial Flavors
- Avocado Oil
Nutrition Facts
A serving is 2/3 cup and contains just 40 calories. You get 1 gram of protein and 2 grams of fat (0 grams saturated fat). There’s 0 mg cholesterol, and just 8% of your daily value of sodium per serving. You get 6 grams total carbohydrates, of which 2 grams are sugars (0 grams “added sugars”) and 2 grams are fiber.
Obviously, these are the “before cooking” nutrition levels. If you’re adding 1/3 tablespoon of oil per serving, that changes the fat content. (See below for cooking instructions.)
Cooking Instructions
The label offers a few different cooking options, although the skillet method is “preferred.” These methods are for cooking 3 servings at a time:
- Stove Top (8-10 minutes in a skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil)
- Microwave (3-4 minutes on HIGH power)
- Air Fryer (7-9 minutes at 400 degrees)
Keep frozen until ready to cook. Heat to a minimum 165 degrees. Do not refreeze.
Oh yeah. In case you didn’t know, “CAUTION: PRODUCT WILL BE HOT.” *sigh*
Price and Servings
The 4-pound Costco-sack costs $12.99 at the regular price. I got mine on sale for $9.50. Since there are 21 servings per bag, each serving is about 62 cents. I am pretty sure I ate more than two servings at a time, which means each portion would cost me around $1.50. Not the cheapest option for veggies, especially frozen ones. But worth it!
(It’s still cheaper than Pura Vida’s other frozen vegetable mixture; their “Vegetable Melange” will set you back $16.49 for the same-size bag. Yikes. I’ve tried the Vegetable Melange before, and I definitely prefer this Primavera Mistura!)
Shelf Life
The “best by” date on my bag allowed approximately 18 months to consume.
Dramatic Conclusion
If you love red peppers, you need to try these veggies. They are bursting with rich flavor, and are quick and easy to cook. I think this is a “must” for red onion fans. I love that no additional seasoning is needed to taste scrumptious. The fire roasting delivers a waaaay more sophisticated experience than typical frozen veggies.
The official “Awesome-o-Meter” rates this a “Yaaas.” So, it must be true.
The End.
More Reviews You Might Like (or Hate)
Check out these other reviews I’ve written. Or don’t. That’s fine, too:
