Spring Lentil Soup with Herb Oil
Lentils, dried leek, and freeze-dried greens, with a lemon-herb oil stirred in at the end.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 5 oz
- cal / oz
- 124
- protein
- 24 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 25 min
- total time
- 30 min
- water
- 650 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
- Basecamp
- Car camping
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Green or brown lentils | 1/2 cup | not red, they collapse into mush |
|---|---|---|
| Dried leek or onion flakes | 2 tbsp | |
| Garlic granules | 1 tsp | half in the pot, half in the oil |
| Vegetable bouillon | 1 cube or 2 tsp | a weak broth leaves this flat |
| Freeze-dried peas | 1/3 cup | |
| Dried asparagus or green beans | 1/4 cup | |
| Freeze-dried spinach | 1/4 cup | arugula works if you can find it |
| Extra virgin olive oil | 2 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Dried mint, dill, and chives | 1 tbsp total | |
| Dried lemon peel | 1 tsp | |
| Lemon juice powder or a lemon packet | 1 tsp | |
| Red pepper flakes | a pinch | |
| Salt and pepper | to taste |
Method
- Make the herb oil first, in your cup or a small bag: olive oil, herbs, lemon peel, half the garlic, red pepper. Let it sit while the lentils cook.
- Bring 650 ml of water to a boil with the lentils, leek flakes, remaining garlic, and bouillon.
- Simmer 20 to 25 minutes, lid on, until the lentils are soft but still whole. Add a splash of water if it goes dry.
- Stir in the peas, asparagus, and spinach. Two minutes off a low flame is enough.
- Kill the heat. Stir in the herb oil and the lemon juice powder. Salt and pepper last.
The original is a spring produce dish, which means it is mostly water and refrigeration. What survives the swap is the structure: whole lentils for body, quick-cooking green vegetables added at the very end so they do not turn to paste, and a raw herb sauce spooned in off the heat. Freeze-dried peas and spinach rehydrate in the residual heat alone, so they stay separate from the lentils instead of dissolving into them.
The pistou becomes a herb oil. No food processor, no fresh basil, no cheese to go rancid — dried herbs bloom in olive oil while the lentils simmer, and the acid goes in at the end where heat cannot flatten it. That oil is doing two jobs: it is most of the fat in the meal, and it is the only reason a pot of lentils and bouillon tastes like anything.
Packing
Lentils, leek, garlic, and bouillon in one bag. Vegetables in a second, since they only need two minutes. Oil rides upright in a dropper bottle; herbs and lemon go in a tiny bag with it.
Variations
- Instant lentils or a pouch of precooked lentils cut cook time to five minutes and save fuel at the cost of weight.
- A packet of couscous stirred in at the end thickens it into something closer to a stew.
- Chicken bouillon instead of vegetable if you are not keeping it vegan.
https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/spring-lentil-vegetable-soup