Loaded with dried vegetables, white beans, and elbow pasta, this hearty, Italian-inspired soup is a comforting and hearty backpacking meal.
The world needs more backpacking soups! Instead of trying to reconstitute something that has a different shape and structure (e.g., freeze-dried lasagna), why not lean on the rehydration process and make a great bowl of soup?
The general ingredient list of this minestrone soup makes it perfect for backpacking. All vegetables offer a feeling of freshness, white beans serve protein and rich vegetable broth brings it all together.
At camp, the rehydration process is also really forgiving. Unlike other dehydrated foods that require a specific proportion of water, here the final product is soup, so you can make it as thick or as brothy as you want.
We love this Backpacking Minestrone because: ↠Easy to prepare at camp because the water ratio doesn’t need to be too precise. It’s supposed to be soup after all! ↠Despite being dehydrated, this soup tastes super fresh and fragrant ↠Many diverse textures, resistant ingredients and truly heavenly
broth If you’re looking for a hearty backpacker meal with notes of an Italian grandmother’s home cooking, then this dehydrated minestrone soup is a great choice for you. How to Make
Dehydrated Minestrone There’s no “set-up” rule about what goes into a minestrone
soup, but for this recipe, we include some of the more classic vegetables: zucchini, carrots, onions, celery, and diced tomatoes. For carrots, the thinner you cut them, the faster they will dehydrate/rehydrate. For tomatoes, we recommend rubbing a light layer of neutral oil on the tray to prevent their juices from sticking. In addition to vegetables, we include white beans for protein and texture. The smaller the bean, the better.
Let the dehydrator run for 8-12 hours until everything is dry. We simply let it go overnight, as these ingredients can’t get too dehydrated.
When the vegetables and beans are ready, divide them in half and place them in separate resealable containers. Each container will be a portion. From there, add the elbow paste, spices, and vegetable broth cube. We added 1/8 tablespoon of red pepper flakes that we felt were perfect for us, but if you’re sensitive to spices, reduce to a pinch or leave out altogether.
At the camp, boil the mixture in 2 cups of water, and then simmer for about 8-10 minutes. If you want your minestrone to be a little more brothy you can use more water. Or if you want it thicker, you can simmer it a little more.
Necessary equipment
↠Dehydrator: There are many options available, but we are currently using Nesco Snackmaster. It’s an inexpensive dehydrator that’s good for those just starting out.
↠Mandolin: A mandolin is a kitchen tool (optional) that will help cut your vegetables with an even thickness, so they will all dehydrate evenly.
↠Storage bags: In our attempt to reduce our consumption of disposable ziplock bags, we have begun exploring packing our dehydrated meals in reusable bags. They are ideal for short-term storage and for trips where you only go out for a few nights.
↠Humangear GoToob: We love GoToobs for carrying oils when we backpack. They have a double lock feature that gives us extra confidence that they won’t start accidentally seeping somewhere in the depths of our bear boat.
Other dehydrated backpacker meals you’ll enjoy â†
Dehydrated tortilla soup ↠Dehydrated backpacker paste Spring ↠Marinara of dehydrated red lentils ↠Dehydrated risotto with vegetables
