Ten-Serving Lentil Soup for Camp
Lentils, dried vegetables, and canned tomatoes in one big pot. Feeds a group off a car-camp stove.
- calories
- 230
- weight
- 3.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 66
- protein
- 13 g
- serves
- 10, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 40 min
- total time
- 45 min
- water
- 2000 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
- Campfire coals
- Liquid fuel
- Canister stove
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Winter / snow
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Dried brown or green lentils | 2 cups (1 lb) | rinse at home, they cook fine unsoaked |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 2 tbsp | |
| Dried onion flakes | 1/3 cup | stands in for one large fresh onion |
| Dried carrot | 1/2 cup | or 3 fresh carrots if you have a cooler |
| Garlic granules | 1 tbsp | three cloves worth |
| Canned diced tomatoes | 1 can (14.5 oz) | |
| Vegetable bouillon | 8 cups worth | cubes or paste, low sodium |
| Bay leaf | 1 | |
| Red pepper flakes | 1/4 tsp | |
| Salt | 1 tsp | |
| Black pepper | 1 tsp |
Method
- Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion flakes, dried carrot, garlic, and pepper flakes with a splash of water and let them soften for two minutes. Watch them, dried onion scorches fast.
- Pour in the tomatoes with their juice. Add the bay leaf, salt, and pepper and stir.
- Add the lentils, the bouillon, and 2 liters of water. Bring it up to a boil.
- Drop to a low simmer and hold it for about 30 minutes, until the lentils go soft and the soup thickens. Stir now and then so the bottom does not catch.
- Pull the bay leaf. Taste and add salt.
- On a campfire, cook it off the flame at the edge of the coals. A rolling fire will scorch lentils to the pot before they are done.
Lentils are the cheapest hot dinner you can carry that still counts as protein. They need no soak and they hold their shape through a long simmer, which is what makes them workable on a fire where the heat is inconsistent.
The original wants a fresh onion, carrots, and garlic cloves. Dried versions of all three do the same job here and skip the cooler entirely, so the only wet thing you carry is the tomato can. Give the dried vegetables their two minutes in the oil at the start anyway. That step is where the sweetness comes from, and it is gone if you just dump everything into the water at once.
Packing
Lentils, dried vegetables, bouillon, and spices all go in one bag at home. The tomato can and oil ride separately. Carrying dried vegetables instead of fresh means the whole soup needs no cooler.
Variations
- A cup of white rice added at the halfway mark makes it heavier for cold nights.
- Stir in a foil packet of chicken per bowl at the end for more protein.
- A squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar at the end pulls it out of flat.
https://morefood.org/warm-up-your-winter-budget-friendly-comfort-food-recipes