Leek and Sweet Potato Soup, Dried
A frugal British soup rebuilt from dried vegetables and bouillon, thickened by the potato itself.
- calories
- 430
- weight
- 3.2 oz
- cal / oz
- 134
- 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
- Liquid fuel
- Campfire coals
- Backpacking
- Car camping
- Winter / snow
- Basecamp
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Dehydrate ahead
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Sweet potato flakes or dried sweet potato dice | 3/4 cup | flakes rehydrate faster and thicken on their own |
|---|---|---|
| Dried leek | 3 tbsp | sold as soup greens, or dry your own sliced thin |
| Dried minced onion | 1 tbsp | |
| Vegetable bouillon | 1 cube or 1 tsp powder | |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Salt and black pepper | to taste | go light, the bouillon is already salty |
| Curry powder | 1/2 tsp | optional, cuts the sweetness |
Method
- Boil 500 ml of water. Drop in the bouillon and stir until it dissolves.
- Add the dried leek and onion first. Give them three minutes on a low simmer, they take longer than the potato.
- Stir in the sweet potato flakes and any curry powder. Simmer another five to eight minutes, stirring so the bottom does not scorch.
- Kill the heat, pour in the oil, and stir hard. The stirring is your blender.
- Let it sit two minutes to finish swelling. Thin with hot water if it goes past soup and into paste.
The original is a home soup: fry an onion, simmer real sweet potatoes and leeks in stock, then blend it smooth. Nothing there survives a pack, so all three vegetables come dried and the blender is replaced by sweet potato flakes, which fall apart into the water on their own. The texture lands close enough.
Order matters more than technique. Dried leek and onion are tougher than the potato and need a head start, or you end up with soft soup and chewy green rings in it. The oil goes in off the heat because the home version’s whole fat budget was that first tablespoon in the pan, and out here it is also most of the calories.
Packing
Everything dry goes in one bag, bouillon included. Oil rides in its own bottle. Curry powder is worth carrying loose in a tiny vial so you can use it elsewhere.
Variations
- A handful of instant potato flakes turns it from soup into a bowl you eat with a spoon standing up.
- Garam masala instead of curry powder.
- Crumbled dried mushroom in with the leeks adds body and a little savor.
https://hedgecombers.com/leek-sweet-potato-soup