Huel hot and savoury review: All 10 flavours tasted and rated 

Launched in 2015, Huel is a company that’s become incredibly popular over the past few years for their plant-based shakes that delivers all the essential vitamins and minerals you need. While Huel is adamant about not being known as a meal replacement, its instant just-add-water formula makes it ideal for busy people on the go.

Huel’s Hot & Savoury is a range of quick, nutritionally complete hot tasty meals and it’s one of its most popular products. Including ingredients like rice and quinoa, all you need to do is add hot water and it’s cooked in just five minutes. Ideal if you want a quick, healthy meal you can enjoy in the office or at home without the stress of cooking.

Nutrition is at the forefront of every Huel product and each meal is high in fibre, high protein (with up to 26g pea protein), 26 essential vitamins, 420 calories and seven meals are available per bag.

There’s flexibility that comes with the meals and customers can tailor to their desired portion size by choosing to add one or two scoops.

At only £2.35 per meal, it’s cheap even by supermarket standards and delivers without any mess.

I’m someone who’s been strength training regularly for years and I spend most of my time cooking or eating out, so I was intrigued to see whether Huel’s hot and savoury range would be on par with having a home cooked meal.

There are currently 10 flavours available, with the newest being the recently launched Pasta Bolognese. So Express.co.uk has put Huel hot and savoury to the test and rated all flavours – read it here.

How to make it

As the instructions stated, it’s fairly simple to make and you simply add 100ml of hot water to a scoop of food and cover it for five minutes. You can choose to add boiled water or pop it in the microwave and make it in or a bowl or with the accompanying shaker.

I used a bowl and added in boiled water, then covered it and waited five minutes. When I made my first bowl, I was surprised to see that there was a lot of liquid in the bowl and it looked more like a soup. I realised I added too much water and when I put in less, the sauce became thicker. After my fourth bowl, I started to get the hang of it. While I personally didn’t use the shaker, it’s small size makes it a good option to carry around to work.

The newest Huel flavour, Pasta Bolognese, is a rich meal that’s got juicy tomatoes and penne pasta and is sure to be one of the most popular flavours. I was surprised at how the flavour was pretty spot on to a Bolognese pasta I would make at home.

Flavour: 4/5 

Unsurprisingly, this is one of Huel’s top-ordered flavours and I was really impressed by this as it looked exactly like a home cooked macaroni and cheese when it was cooked. It isn’t a thick cheese but it’s still creamy and a great pick for vegan or lactose intolerant eaters. It’s very tasty and has a nice flavour to it that’s not too overpowering.

Flavour: 3.5/5

If you’re a fan of Mexican food, pick Mexican Chilli as its got peppers, black beans and quinoa. It’s not as spicy as I expected it to be but has a good flavour and the beans make it feel richer. While its not my favourite flavour, it’s a good option for a simple meal.

Flavour: 2.5/5

This was one of the flavours I was the most excited to try as it’s got chicken-flavouring with wild mushrooms. Unfortunately, the flavour was more subtle than I would’ve liked but there were tiny bits of umami flavouring that gave it a boost of flavour. Making this pasta was quite easy and the texture of the sauce was nice and thick.

Flavour: 2.5/5

This is a subtle curry that is another favourite among Huel fans and surpisingly, smelled like a freshly made Thai curry. It’s got peppers, sweetcorn, spring onion with a touch of chilli. I couldn’t really taste the chilli so thought it was a good option for those that enjoyed milder curries as the coconut is enjoyably smooth. The one downside is that it doesn’t look appetising when made.

Flavour: 3/5

Huel says that Madras is its ‘hottest flavour yet’ and as a spicy food lover, I was really impressed that the flavour was quite spicy. A combination of tomatoes, sweet potatoes with Madras style curry flavouring, it has a kick to it that isn’t too overpowering. I’d recommend those that aren’t into spicy flavours to steer away from this one. It’s got a good consistency as well that makes it thick and feel more meal-like.

Flavour: 3/5

With a mixture of pineapple, pepper, spices and spring onion, Sweet & Sour is a riced-based dish that’s got a sharp flavour. Personally, this isn’t a flavour that I enjoy so it wasn’t one for me. However, the texture is quite thick and it feels more filling than other flavours.

Flavour: 2.5/5

This is another one of Huel’s most popular orders and is literally what it says, rice starch, tomato and herb. It’s got a rich blend and thick texture to it that makes it perfect for a quick, filling meal. It taste almost like a thick pasta sauce.

Flavour: 3/5

The korma is a creamy coconut curry with delicate spices and I found it a nice, basic meal. It’s got a medium consistency that makes it easy to eat and is great if you would like a simple curry that’s not too rich.

Flavour: 3/5

Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed by this flavour as it promised a creamy mixture of peppers with paprika and instead, found the texture was quite thin. The flavour was more subdued than I expected, but if you’re looking for a basic pasta, then this is a good choice. The scattered bits of sweetcorn also uplifted the flavour a bit.

Flavour: 2.5/5

Final Verdict

I spent about a month testing these flavours and the biggest benefit of eating Huel meals is that it’s quick to make and versatile for every need. While the meals weren’t big enough to feel like lunches for me, I thought they worked really well as a pre-workout meal or when I needed a pick-me-up during the afternoon. It’s also a good option if you’re camping or in a festival and want to enjoy a hot meal. The price is incredibly affordable given you get seven meals per pack, which makes it also good for sticking to a budget. Does it replace a home cooked meal? No as it’s essentially rehydrated food. But it’s a much healthier option that other instant food.

Order Huel hot and savoury here – minimum order is three bags.