People of Boulder love to keep busy. Sometimes, 24 hours doesn’t feel like enough time to squeeze in cooking dinner. That is why the The Organic Dish wants to do the meal prep for you. All you have to do is thaw, cook and eat!
“We want to be your sous chef,” says Dan Sorrells, owner of The Organic Dish, a Boulder establishment since 2007. The concept is organic, wholesome ingredients in tried-and-true, delicious recipes, prepped, frozen and waiting to be taken home.
The Organic Dish’s nutritious frozen meal kits can be ready at home within 30 minutes. Each boxed kit comes with thawing and cooking instructions that result in a delicious home-cooked meal.
Dan and Drew Sorrells purchased the company in 2012, after the original founders relocated. Though some of the original recipes were inherited, Dan uses his creativity, passion for food and refined palate to develop frozen meal kits fit for a busy lifestyle that can be tailored to most dietary restrictions.
Growing up in the South, Dan has always had an obsession with cooking and eating. When coming up with a meal, he likes to collect and combine recipes, get input from his staff or go based off what he knows by heart (for example, his jambalaya).
After a recipe is created, several days go into making of the kit. When frozen fresh, nothing goes bad, and freezer burn is not a problem.
Transparency and quality of ingredients are of utmost importance, hence everything is organic and locally sourced when possible. Any non-organic ingredients will be listed on the label, but those are usually spices or less than 5% of the list.
“You should know what you eat,” says Dan, and organic is the closest way to know what is being put into the body.
Most orders are placed online, but can be called-in or purchased at the shop. If placed by 1 p.m., meal kits will be ready for pick-up the next day. Delivery is available, and with enough notice, modifications of ingredients may be possible.
There are 25 meal kits, 10 of which are vegetarian (and vegan friendly), 10 chicken, and the remaining vary between seafood, pork, beef or hybrids.
The most popular recipe is the Red Lentils with Coconut, though the Pork Carnitas and Rojo Vieja are some of staff favorites.
I took home the Summertime Borscht—I can’t resist Russian food. After defrosting in the fridge for a day, the soup was quick to heat on the stove and made a perfect dinner for three on a lazy summer night after work.
The blended medley of golden beets, potatoes, carrots, onions and dill was reminiscent in taste of borscht I grew up eating in Russia. Topped with some sour cream or cottage cheese, it was the best “home-cooked” meal I’d made in a while.
The Organic Dish customers include busy adults, new moms, couples, and anyone looking to eat healthy without spending hours in the kitchen. There is not another business like this in the area serving Boulder County and Denver. One day, the hope is to spread the concept to other major cities throughout the states.
When coming to pick up the meal kit, be sure to check out the new café. Located on the Northwest corner of 28th and Valmont, The Organic Dish café is a calm, brightly lit, and welcoming space.
With free Wi-Fi, a quiet atmosphere and the best gluten-free, vegan banana bread in Boulder, the recently opened café provides the perfect space to study, work or meet with a friend over a cup of Ozo Coffee.
The café menu features breakfast and lunch items including smoothies, granola bowls, tartines, soups and sandwiches. A grab-n-go fridge holds containers of famous kale salad, chicken salad cabbage wraps and other options that make for a healthy, quick lunch.
The Organic Dish café aims to do everything with a twist, making food that cannot be found anywhere else. I find myself returning for that amazing banana bread and can attest that it cannot be found anywhere else!
The Organic Dish is Boulder’s first choice for tasty, quality organic food in a fun and relaxed environment. Great care goes into recipe creation, meal kit preparation and service.
When in a hurry, skip the grocery store frozen meal aisles (until The Organic Dish meal kits enter the wholesale market, that is). Order a meal kit, grab some banana bread, go home and heat up a meal that will have any guest fooled into believing that hours were spent in the kitchen.
The Organic Dish may be one of Boulder’s best secrets. Give it a shot, and see what healthy eating and more free time can do for you!
