camp meals

Ginger Turmeric Chicken Soup

A brothy chicken and vegetable soup rebuilt from freeze-dried parts. One pot, one boil.

calories
430
weight
3.5 oz
cal / oz
123
protein
32 g
serves
1, scales
prep
2 min
cook
12 min
total time
14 min
water
600 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
  • Liquid fuel
  • Backpacking
  • Basecamp
  • Winter / snow
  • Car camping
  • Gluten free
  • Dairy free
  • Nut free
  • One pot
  • Pre-mix at home
  • Shelf stable
  • Dump and stir

Ingredients

Freeze-dried chicken 1/2 cup shredded, not diced chunks
Dried vegetable blend 1/2 cup carrot, onion, celery
Freeze-dried peas 2 tbsp
Freeze-dried broccoli florets 1/3 cup crush the big pieces
Chicken bouillon 2 tsp
Ground ginger 1/2 tsp
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Italian seasoning 1/2 tsp
Crushed red pepper 1/4 tsp
Apple cider vinegar powder 1 tsp or a splash of vinegar from a dropper bottle
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  1. Boil 600 ml of water in the pot.
  2. Dump in the whole bag and stir once. Cover and pull it off the flame.
  3. Wait eight minutes. Relight and bring it back to a simmer if the night is cold.
  4. Check the carrot. If it still crunches, give it another five minutes covered.
  5. Stir in the oil, then salt and pepper. Eat straight from the pot.

This started as a pressure-cooker soup with fresh vegetables and raw chicken breast. Neither travels. The trail version swaps in freeze-dried chicken and a dried mirepoix blend, which rehydrate in the same water that becomes the broth, so nothing gets poured off.

The carrot is the slow part. Everything else is soft in five minutes, so the covered soak is timed for the hardest ingredient. Ginger, turmeric, and red pepper come along dried because they are dried in any kitchen anyway. The oil goes in last: a broth this thin has almost no fat, and a tablespoon is the difference between a warm drink and dinner.

Packing

Everything dry goes in one quart freezer bag, spices included. Oil rides in a dropper bottle. Double-bag the chicken if it has been in your pack a while.

Variations

  • Add a handful of instant rice or crushed ramen at the boil for another 200 calories.
  • Swap the chicken for a foil pouch stirred in at the end. It costs less and rehydrates faster.
  • Miso paste instead of bouillon, added off the heat.

https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/instant-pot-chicken-detox-soup