Butternut Squash and Ginger Soup
Spiced soup from dehydrated squash and vegetables, warming and filling.
- calories
- 280
- weight
- 2.2 oz
- cal / oz
- 127
- protein
- 2 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 1 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total time
- 16 min
- water
- 800 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
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Backpacking
- Car camping
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Butternut squash powder | 1/2 cup | home-dehydrated and ground, or instant pumpkin soup powder |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken bouillon cubes | 2 | |
| Unsalted butter | 2 tbsp | carried in a small container |
| Dehydrated carrot | 1/4 cup | |
| Dehydrated onion | 2 tbsp | |
| Brown sugar | 1 tbsp | |
| Ground ginger | 1/2 tsp | |
| Ground mace | 1/4 tsp | |
| Cayenne pepper | a pinch | |
| Salt | to taste |
Method
- Boil 800 ml of water and crumble in the bouillon cubes.
- Add squash powder, carrots, onion, and brown sugar.
- Stir well and simmer 10 minutes until vegetables soften.
- Remove from heat and stir in butter and spices.
- Adjust salt and serve.
Squash soup on the trail means dehydrated squash powder, vegetables, and spices cooked in one pot in under twenty minutes. It won’t be as rich as oven-roasted squash soup, but ginger and mace fill in, and butter and brown sugar add body. The payoff is that it’s shelf-stable and portable.
Mace is the move here. It’s less common than nutmeg, subtly bitter, and stops the whole thing from tasting sweet. Ginger and mace together make this feel intentional, not like you’re eating instant soup at a trailhead. They do the work.
Packing
Mix squash powder, dehydrated vegetables, spices, brown sugar, and bouillon into a single quart freezer bag at home. Butter rides separately in a small screw-top container.
Variations
- A handful of dehydrated spinach or kale adds color and nutrition.
- Substitute powdered sweet potato for butternut squash.
- Add a pinch of curry powder for complexity.
https://www.cookingbites.com/threads/best-homemade-soup-recipe.912