I started making backcountry meals by using Knorr sides or ramen as a base and then dressing it up. In this recipe, we’ll start with packaged minestrone soup powder, and then add a few things you can find in most grocery stores.
This will take an average-tasting, chalky dehydrated soup to a hearty, flavourful stew (or soup, however you want it!) that can properly feed 3 hungry backpackers.
The best part is that the soup powder already has some vegetables and spices and does most of the heavy-lifting in terms of flavour. So you’re free to experiment with what you want to add. Here are some ideas:
- Don’t have orzo? Use any other small pasta. Try ditalini, stelline or alphabet pasta! The smaller it is, the sooner dinner will be ready.
- Allergic to soy? Try pea protein crumbles, red lentils or simply double the amount of dehydrated beans.
- Can’t find minestrone soup powder? Use plain tomato soup powder (but don’t forget the dried herbs!)
- No dehydrated vegetables? Substitute with dehydrated mushrooms instead (more widely available), or feel free to simply skip, as the soup will have some too.
The sky’s the limit.
If you want more Italian-inspired flavours, check out the Creamy Polenta with Mushroom and Tomato Sauce. And if you’d like something else like a stew, check out the Thai Curry and Noodles recipe.
Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pack Knorr minestrone soup powder
- 270 g small pasta, such as orzo
- 50 g dehydrated vegetables
- 25 g soy chunks
- 25 g bean flakes
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried garlic minced
Instructions
At Home
- Everything except for the soup powder (which comes in its own packet) can be packed into a resealable bag.
At Camp
- In a large enough pot, first mix the soup powder and water, ensuring that there are no lumps. Follow package directions to determine how much water to add.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, and let it all soak and rehydrate for a few minutes.
- Bring to a boil. Then reduce the flame to the lowest possible, and let it cook. Stir occasionally, so the soup powder does not settle at the bottom and start burning.
- Once the pasta is cooked through, you can add more water, or let some cook off, until you get to your desired consistency.
Notes
- Feel free to experiment with the protein sources: instead of soy chunks, you can also use pea protein crumbles, more dehydrated beans or red lentils.
- The Knorr soup powder does all the heavy lifting in terms of flavour, so you can skip the dried herbs if you don’t have them. Alternatively, you can use plain tomato soup powder with the dried herbs.