Lentil Mushroom Meatballs
Dried mushrooms, lentils, and oats pressed into balls and browned in a pan at camp.
- calories
- 520
- weight
- 4 oz
- cal / oz
- 130
- protein
- 21 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 30 min
- total time
- 45 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
- Liquid fuel
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Backpacking
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Actual cooking
Ingredients
| Dried brown lentils | 1/2 cup | rinsed at home, packed dry |
|---|---|---|
| Dried mushroom slices | 1 oz | stands in for 8 oz fresh |
| Old-fashioned oats | 1/2 cup | |
| Garlic powder | 1 tsp | replaces 2 fresh cloves |
| Italian seasoning | 1 tsp | |
| Powdered vegetable or mushroom broth | 2 tsp | |
| Soy sauce | 1 tbsp | or liquid aminos, in a leakproof dropper bottle |
| Olive oil | 2 tbsp | 1 for the mix, 1 for the pan |
| Bay leaf | 1 | |
| Salt and pepper | to taste |
Method
- Bring 400 ml of water to a boil with the lentils and the bay leaf. Simmer 10 minutes and no longer. Undercooked is the point.
- Drain off any water still standing and fish out the bay leaf. Set the pot aside.
- Cover the dried mushrooms with 200 ml of boiling water in a mug or bag. Give them 10 minutes, then drain and chop them fine with a knife or the edge of a spoon.
- Tip the mushrooms back into the lentils with the oats, broth powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, soy sauce, and 1 tbsp oil. Mash hard with a spoon until it holds together. If it slumps, add oats a spoonful at a time.
- Let it sit 5 minutes so the oats pull in the moisture. Then squeeze into eight balls, packing tight.
- Wipe the pot, heat the second tablespoon of oil, and brown the balls over low flame. Turn them every couple of minutes, about 12 minutes total. Move them gently early on, more freely once a crust forms.
The original is an oven recipe. Ovens do not come backpacking, so these get browned in the pot instead, and the mini muffin tin that held their shape is replaced by packing them tight and leaving them alone until a crust sets.
Two things keep them from turning to mush. The lentils come off the heat at ten minutes, well short of done, so they hold some structure. The oats then absorb whatever water is left and bind the rest. Dried mushrooms do the same job as fresh at a fraction of the weight, and their soaking water is worth keeping if you want to thin a sauce.
Packing
Lentils, oats, mushrooms, and the dry seasonings go in one bag at home. Oil and soy sauce ride in small bottles. The bay leaf tucks into the dry bag.
Variations
- Serve over instant couscous with a packet of tomato paste thinned with hot water.
- Skip the shaping and eat it as a thick lentil hash straight from the pot. Same food, ten fewer minutes.
- A tablespoon of dehydrated red wine or a splash from a flask deepens the mushroom flavor if you are carrying it anyway.
https://ohmyveggies.com/recipe-lentil-mushroom-meatballs