Date and Fig Couscous
Couscous, bouillon, and chopped dried fruit. Ready in the time it takes the pot to stop steaming.
- calories
- 600
- weight
- 5 oz
- cal / oz
- 120
- protein
- 12 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 2 min
- total time
- 4 min
- water
- 480 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.
- Breakfast
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Liquid fuel
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- Bikepacking
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Couscous | 1 1/3 cup | plain instant, not pearl |
|---|---|---|
| Medjool dates, pitted and diced | 1/3 cup | |
| Dried figs or prunes, diced | 1/3 cup | |
| Low-sodium vegetable bouillon | 2 tsp | powder or a crushed cube |
| Olive or coconut oil | 1 tbsp | a single-serve packet is easiest |
| Brown sugar or coconut sugar | a pinch | optional |
Method
- Bring 480 ml of water to a boil and pull the pot off the flame.
- Dump in the dry mix and the oil. Stir until no dry pockets are left.
- Lid it and let it stand 10 minutes. In a bag inside a cozy, give it 15.
- Fluff with a spoon, breaking up the clumps, and split it between two bowls.
Couscous does not cook so much as rehydrate, which is the whole point on a stove where fuel is measured in grams. One boil, no simmer, then the pot sits there doing the work while you deal with your feet.
The bouillon keeps it savory and the dried fruit keeps it from being flat. Dice the dates and figs small at home so they soften in the same ten minutes the grain does; whole ones stay chewy in the middle. The oil is not optional. Plain couscous is close to fat-free, and without a tablespoon stirred in this is a bowl of starch that will not hold you until lunch.
Packing
Couscous, chopped fruit, and bouillon go into one quart freezer bag at home. The oil packet rides in the same bag. Dice the fruit before the trip; sticky dates are miserable to cut with a pocket knife.
Variations
- Stir in a foil packet of chicken or a scoop of soy curls to turn it into a real dinner.
- Swap the bouillon for curry powder and salt if you want it less brothy.
- A spoon of nut butter thins into the hot grain and adds fat, if nuts are fine for your group.
https://trailcooking.com/breakfast/dried-fruit-couscous