Cran-Orange Bulgur Cereal
Bulgur soaked overnight with cranberries, blueberries, and powdered orange. Walnuts go in at dawn.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 6 oz
- cal / oz
- 120
- protein
- 16 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 0 min
- total time
- 2 min
- water
- 355 ml cold
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Breakfast
- Cold soak
- No cook
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- Bikepacking
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy free
- Eat in the bag
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Bulgur | 3/4 cup | fine or medium grind, not cracked wheat |
|---|---|---|
| Dried cranberries | 1/4 cup | |
| Dried blueberries | 2 tbsp | |
| Orange powder | 3 tbsp | freeze-dried orange slices run through a blender; drink powder works but tastes flatter |
| Toasted chopped walnuts | 1/4 cup |
Method
- At night, pour 355 ml of cold water into the bag holding the bulgur, dried fruit, and orange powder.
- Seal it, squash the air out, and knead it for a few seconds so nothing sits dry at the bottom.
- Leave it upright in your pack or a corner of the vestibule overnight.
- In the morning, stir in the walnuts and eat straight from the bag. If it is stiffer than you want, add a splash of water and wait two minutes.
Bulgur is already parboiled, which is the whole reason this works without a stove. Cold water and eight hours are enough to soften it all the way through; rolled oats go to mush on the same schedule, and bulgur keeps a bit of chew.
The orange powder does the acid, so no fresh citrus and no fridge. Walnuts stay out until morning for two reasons: they hold their crunch, and their oil would otherwise sit in the soak going stale. Toast them at home and they carry better.
Packing
Bulgur, cranberries, blueberries, and orange powder go in one sandwich bag at home. Walnuts ride in their own small bag so their oil stays out of everything else.
Variations
- Sunflower or pumpkin seeds in place of walnuts if you are packing nut-free.
- A tablespoon of sugar or maple flakes if your orange powder is the unsweetened freeze-dried kind.
https://trailcooking.com/breakfast/cran-orange-cereal