Asparagus and Potato Camp Soup
Dried potato and spring greens blended by the pot's own steam. No cream, no blender.
- calories
- 520
- weight
- 4 oz
- cal / oz
- 130
- protein
- 12 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 10 min
- total time
- 15 min
- water
- 500 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Lunch
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Backpacking
- Basecamp
- Car camping
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Gluten free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Instant mashed potato flakes | 3/4 cup | stands in for the boiled potatoes and does the thickening |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze-dried asparagus | 1/3 cup | cut into short pieces so it rehydrates evenly |
| Dried spinach flakes | 3 tbsp | |
| Dried minced onion | 1 tbsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1/2 tsp | |
| Vegetable bouillon | 1 cube or 1 tsp powder | |
| Dried dill | 1 tsp | |
| Citric acid or a lemon juice powder packet | 1/4 tsp | replaces the fresh lemon |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Salt and black pepper | to taste |
Method
- Boil 500 ml of water. Add the bouillon, onion, garlic powder, asparagus, and spinach.
- Simmer two minutes, then pull it off the heat and cover for three more. The asparagus needs the soak more than the boil.
- Stir in the potato flakes a spoonful at a time until it thickens. Stop while it still pours.
- Add the dill, citric acid, oil, salt, and pepper. Stir and let it sit one minute before eating.
The original was a slow cooker soup that got its body from boiled potatoes hit with an immersion blender. Instant potato flakes do the same job in one step: they dissolve into the broth and give it weight without milk, cream, or a blender you are not carrying.
The rest is substitution. Freeze-dried asparagus and spinach flakes for fresh greens, dried dill for the bunch, citric acid for the lemon. The acid matters more than it sounds like it should — without it the pot tastes like starch and salt. Add it last, off the heat, and taste before you commit to the whole quarter teaspoon.
Packing
Everything dry goes in one quart bag; oil rides separately in a dropper bottle. Keep the citric acid in its own tiny bag so you can add it by feel at the end.
Variations
- A scoop of unflavored pea protein pushes it past 20 g without changing the taste much.
- Crush a handful of rice crackers over the top for the crouton texture the original had.
- Freeze-dried peas in place of half the asparagus if asparagus is hard to source.
https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/slow-cooker-asparagus-spinach-and-potato-soup-vegan