Butternut Squash and Apple Camp Soup
Dried squash, dried apple, and cauliflower powder rehydrated into a thick spiced soup.
- calories
- 420
- weight
- 3.2 oz
- cal / oz
- 131
- protein
- 8 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 12 min
- total time
- 14 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
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Liquid fuel
- Backpacking
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Winter / snow
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Dehydrate ahead
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Dehydrated butternut squash | 1/2 cup | roast and puree, then dry to a leather and grind |
|---|---|---|
| Cauliflower powder | 3 tbsp | dried florets run through a spice grinder; this is what makes it creamy |
| Dried apple | 1/4 cup | granny smith, chopped small so it softens |
| Vegetable bouillon | 1 cube or 1 tsp | |
| Dried minced onion | 1 tbsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1/2 tsp | |
| Garam masala | 1/2 tsp | |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Maple sugar | 1 tsp | granules, not syrup |
| Apple cider vinegar powder | 1/4 tsp | or a splash from a small bottle |
| Salt | to taste |
Method
- Bring 500 ml of water to a boil.
- Pour in the dry mix and stir hard so the squash powder does not clump on the bottom.
- Simmer on the lowest flame for five minutes, stirring often. Add water if it thickens past what you want.
- Kill the heat and let it sit covered another five minutes. The apple pieces need that time.
- Stir in the oil, then the vinegar powder and maple sugar. Salt last, after the bouillon has spread out.
The home version blends roasted squash and cauliflower in a machine you are not carrying. On the trail the blender’s job is done before you leave: dry the roasted squash into a leather, grind it, and grind dried cauliflower florets separately. Rehydrated, the two come back as a thick soup without a fresh dairy ingredient anywhere in it. Cauliflower is the reason it reads as creamy.
Apple, vinegar, and maple sugar are all doing the same job from different directions. Squash alone goes flat and sweet in a dull way. The acid and the tart apple hold it up. Add the salt at the very end, since bouillon varies and the powder concentrates as the pot reduces.
Packing
Everything dry goes in one bag. Oil rides separately. If you carry liquid vinegar instead of powder, use a 15 ml dropper and pack it upright.
Variations
- A scoop of unflavored pea protein adds 20 g and disappears into the texture.
- Instant potato flakes thicken it further if your squash leather came out thin.
- Toasted pumpkin seeds stirred in at the end give it something to chew.
https://www.maritimeglutton.com/vitamix-butternut-squash-soup