Loaded Quinoa Chili
Quinoa, two kinds of beans, and a pile of dried peppers in one pot.
- calories
- 520
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 95
- protein
- 22 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 25 min
- total time
- 30 min
- water
- 750 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
- Backpacking
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Winter / snow
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Quinoa | 1/2 cup | rinse and dry it at home, otherwise it tastes soapy |
|---|---|---|
| Instant refried bean flakes | 3/4 cup | stands in for the canned black beans |
| Dehydrated kidney beans | 1/2 cup | or a second scoop of bean flakes if you cannot find them |
| Tomato powder | 3 tbsp | |
| Dried onion, bell pepper, and celery | 1/2 cup total | |
| Garlic powder | 1 tsp | |
| Coriander | 2 tsp | |
| Cumin | 1 tsp | |
| Paprika | 1 tsp | |
| Dried basil and thyme | 1 1/2 tsp total | |
| Chipotle powder | 1/8 tsp | more if you want the jalapeño back |
| Bay leaf | 1 | |
| Tamari or soy sauce powder | 1 tsp | tamari keeps it gluten free |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | |
| Black pepper and salt | to taste |
Method
- Boil 750 ml of water. Stir in the dried vegetables and let them sit off the heat for five minutes so they start drinking.
- Add the quinoa, kidney beans, tomato powder, spices, and the bay leaf. Bring it back to a simmer.
- Cover and simmer low for about 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes so the bottom does not scorch. Quinoa is done when the little tails uncurl.
- Kill the heat. Stir in the bean flakes a spoonful at a time until it thickens to chili instead of soup.
- Fish out the bay leaf. Pour the oil over the top, season, and let it stand two minutes before eating.
The original is a stovetop pot of fresh peppers, celery, and two cans of beans. Cans and fresh produce are the two heaviest things you can put in a pack, so both are gone. Dried mirepoix and tomato powder carry the same flavor at a fraction of the weight, and instant refried bean flakes do the job of a can of black beans while also thickening the pot at the end.
Quinoa is the reason this works on trail. It cooks in twenty minutes with no soak, it holds its texture in a wet pot, and it brings enough protein that the beans are not doing all the work. Rinse it at home and dry it on a towel; the saponin coating on unrinsed quinoa is bitter and you cannot fix it once it is cooking. The oil goes in at the end, off the heat, because that is where the calories are and boiling it just wastes them.
Packing
Everything dry goes in one bag except the bean flakes, which ride separately so you can control the thickening. Oil in a dropper bottle. Pull the bay leaf out of the bag by hand at camp, not with a spoon in the dark.
Variations
- A foil packet of chicken or a handful of freeze-dried beef turns this into a much bigger dinner. It stops being vegan.
- Crushed corn chips or Fritos on top add fat and crunch.
- Shelf-stable parmesan or a powdered cheese sauce packet if you want the cheddar back.
https://domesticsuperhero.com/loaded-quinoa-chili