Red Lentil Trail Soup
Red lentils, dried vegetables, and cumin. Twenty minutes and one pot.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 5 oz
- cal / oz
- 124
- protein
- 24 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 22 min
- total time
- 27 min
- water
- 700 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
- Basecamp
- Car camping
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Red lentils | 1/2 cup | split, not whole; they break down on their own |
|---|---|---|
| Dried sweet potato | 1/4 cup | diced small, home-dehydrated or store-bought |
| Dried carrot | 2 tbsp | |
| Tomato powder | 2 tbsp | or 1 tbsp tomato paste from a tube |
| Dried minced onion | 1 tbsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1 tsp | |
| Ground cumin | 1 tsp | |
| Chili powder | 1/2 tsp | |
| Vegetable bouillon | 1 cube or 1 tsp powder | |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Dried herbs | 1 tsp | parsley, dill, mint, or a mix; added off heat |
| Citric acid or a lemon powder packet | 1/4 tsp | |
| Salt and pepper | to taste |
Method
- Bring 700 ml of water to a boil. Add the lentils, dried sweet potato, carrot, onion, tomato powder, bouillon, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder all at once.
- Drop to the lowest flame that keeps it moving. Lid on, 20 minutes. Stir every few minutes so the lentils do not weld to the bottom.
- Check the sweet potato. If it still has a hard center, add a splash of water and give it five more minutes.
- Kill the heat. Stir in the oil, the dried herbs, and the citric acid. Salt and pepper last.
- Let it sit two minutes with the lid on. It thickens as it cools.
Red lentils are the only legume that fits a stove schedule. They cook in about twenty minutes from dry with no soak, and they fall apart into the broth instead of staying separate, so the soup thickens itself. That is why this one works on trail and a black bean version would not.
The original is a home kitchen soup with fresh onion, canned tomatoes, and a squeezed lemon. Dried onion and tomato powder do the same job at a fraction of the weight, and citric acid replaces the lemon. Acid and oil go in off the heat on purpose: cooking the acid in from the start toughens the lentil skins, and the oil carries flavor better when it is not boiled. Dried herbs are weaker than fresh, so use more than feels right.
Packing
Everything dry goes in one bag, oil in a separate dropper bottle. Herbs and citric acid ride in a small twist of foil so they do not cook with the rest.
Variations
- A foil packet of chicken stirred in at the end takes it past 40 g of protein.
- Instant couscous or a handful of minute rice in the last five minutes stretches it to two servings.
https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/red-lentil-soup