Seed and Split Pea Camp Stew
Split peas, sunflower seeds, and dried spinach. Cheap protein that keeps in a bag for a year.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 131
- protein
- 31 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 25 min
- total time
- 30 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
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Backpacking
- Basecamp
- Car camping
- Winter / snow
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Split peas | 1/2 cup | quick-cook or soaked and dehydrated at home |
|---|---|---|
| Shelled sunflower seeds | 3 tbsp | raw or roasted, unsalted |
| Pumpkin seeds | 2 tbsp | |
| Dried spinach | 1/4 cup | crumbled flakes, not whole leaves |
| Dried bok choy | 2 tbsp | sliced thin before drying |
| Bouillon | 1 cube or 1 tsp powder | |
| Garlic powder and black pepper | 1/2 tsp each | |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | dropper bottle |
Method
- Bring 600 ml of water to a boil. Add the peas, bouillon, garlic powder, and pepper.
- Simmer on the lowest flame that keeps it moving. Twenty minutes, stirring when it starts sticking to the bottom.
- Add the dried spinach and bok choy. Five more minutes with the lid on.
- Cut the heat. Stir in both seeds and the oil. Let it sit two minutes so the seeds soften slightly, then eat.
This started as a list of cheap protein sources rather than a dish, so most of it had to be rebuilt for a pack. Eggs and cheddar are out. What survives the trip is the plant column: split peas, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and greens dried down to nothing. Together they clear 30 g of protein for under a dollar and about five and a half ounces of carry weight.
The seeds go in off the heat on purpose. Boiled, they go soft and taste flat; stirred in at the end they hold some bite and their fat stays put in the pot instead of skinning over. Split peas are the fuel cost here — twenty minutes of simmering is real gas. Soak them at home and dehydrate them if you are counting canisters, or use the lentil swap below.
Packing
Peas, greens, bouillon, and spices go in one bag. Seeds ride in a second bag and get added at the end so they stay crisp.
Variations
- Swap the split peas for red lentils and cut the simmer to ten minutes if fuel is tight.
- A packet of instant refried beans stirred in at the end thickens it and adds another 8 g of protein.
- Nutritional yeast covers the cheese note without carrying cheese.
https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/cheap-high-protein-foods