Southwest Turkey and Black Bean Soup
Freeze-dried turkey, black bean flakes, and smoked paprika. A one-pot dinner that tastes like it came out of a kitchen.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 113
- protein
- 38 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 10 min
- total time
- 12 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
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Liquid fuel
- Backpacking
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Winter / snow
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Freeze-dried or canned-and-dehydrated turkey | 2 oz | freeze-dried chicken works the same |
|---|---|---|
| Black bean flakes | 1/3 cup | instant refried style, not whole dry beans |
| Freeze-dried corn | 1/4 cup | |
| Dried bell pepper and onion | 3 tbsp total | |
| Chicken bouillon | 2 tsp | |
| Ground cumin | 1 tsp | |
| Smoked paprika | 1 tsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1/2 tsp | |
| Cayenne and black pepper | 1/4 tsp each | |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Lime juice powder or one lime | 1 tsp | a real lime is worth the 2 oz on night one |
| Dried cilantro | 1 tsp |
Method
- Put the oil in the pot over low heat and add the dried pepper, onion, and all the spices. Stir for one minute. This is the only step that matters for flavor.
- Pour in 600 ml of water and the bouillon. Bring it to a boil.
- Add the turkey and corn. Simmer five minutes so they rehydrate before the beans thicken things.
- Cut the heat, stir in the bean flakes, and let it sit two minutes with the lid on.
- Stir in the lime and cilantro off the heat. Acid goes in last or the heat flattens it.
This started as a way to use up Thanksgiving turkey, which is not a problem anyone has on trail. The trail version keeps the structure and swaps every perishable: freeze-dried turkey for leftovers, bean flakes for canned beans, bouillon for stock, dried pepper and onion for fresh. Nothing needs a cooler and nothing weighs what a can does.
Blooming the spices in oil before the water goes in is the step people skip, and it is the difference between soup and hot salty water. Smoked paprika in particular needs fat to open up. The bean flakes go in at the end because they thicken on contact and will scorch if you boil them. Lime last, off the heat, for the same reason it works at home.
Packing
Everything dry except the turkey goes in one bag. Turkey in its own bag so you can check it stayed sealed. Oil and lime ride in the food bag pocket.
Variations
- A handful of instant rice added with the water bulks it to two servings. Add 250 ml more water.
- Crushed corn chips on top do the work of a garnish and add 150 calories.
- Swap the turkey for a foil packet of chicken if freeze-dried meat is out of budget.
https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/leftover-turkey-soup