Motorcycle Camping Meals: Dehydrated Lentil Soup

Touring on a motorcycle can definitely require a bit of endurance. With your muscles being contracted all day while you fight wind and weather, refueling your body properly, like with this dehydrated lentil soup, should be a priority for anyone looking to stay healthy on the road. I recently took this dehydrated lentil soup with me on a week long motorcycle trip where I cooked all of my own meals at camp. This meal was great after a chilly days ride to warm up with, as well as tasty and filling. 

With so many vegetables and legumes, this dehydrated lentil soup is very nutrient dense with its high fiber and high protein content. After a long day’s ride, you’ll be able to refuel your body with a clean meal that is also budget friendly! Yep, you can make over ten individual meals for the road for under $10 total. Not to mention, the cooking process is extremely simple, and takes less than 30 minutes. In this blog, I’ll walk you through the cooking, dehydrating, and rehydrating process, so that you’re ready to “up” your motorcycle camping meals on your next adventure. 

Ingredients

Please note that you can always add additional vegetables to this recipe. I’ve added Kale and Spinach to this many times, though it isn’t required.

• 1 Tbs Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 White Onion, Diced
• 3 Carrots, Sliced
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup dried lentils (any color)
• 1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups of Broth (Beef or Vege)

Spices

• 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 TBS Smoked Paprika (I love the smokey flavor. If you don’t, scale back on this spice)

Equipment Needed

• Dehyrdator – I use a Nesco, it’s very affordable and works perfectly.
• Dehydrator Fruit Roll Sheets
• Extra Trays
• Food Saver & Storage Bags for Individual Packaging (I prefer using the 8” Rolls)
• Parchment Paper
• Knife
• Cutting Board
• Large Pot
• Jetboil Camp Stove system (For Rehydration)

Cooking Instructions:

1. In a large pot, add Olive Oil, onions, and carrots. Sauté for five minutes. Add garlic and sauté for one minute.
2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and allow lentils and carrots to soften.
3. OPTIONAL: If you would like a thicker base to your soup, remove 1/3 to 1/2 of the soup and puree. If you prefer more of a water base, skip this step. (I pureed mine).
4. Let cool before moving soup to the Dehydrator.

Dehydration and Packaging Instructions:

1. Place the fruit roll sheets on each tray of your dehydrator that you plan on using, and begin loading each tray with soup. Don’t overload the trays. The goal is to dry out the soup.
2. Stack all the trays and set your dehydrator to 135 Degrees Fahrenheit. In 12 Hours, check on your soup. You’ll probably need to flip the contents to make sure there is no moisture trapped on the underside of the drying soup.
3. Once soup is fully dehydrated (pieces should easily crumble), place all contents in a bowl and weigh. Remember to zero out the scale with the empty bowl prior to weighing your food.
4. Prep your food saver bags for storage. Remember, make them slightly larger so that you can rehydrate your food within the storage bag, without water spilling everywhere. Lining each bag with parchment paper will help the dried soup not puncture the bag. I highly recommend doing this.
5. Decide how many meals you intend to make with your bulk dried soup, divide that number by the final weight on the scale, and begin packaging. (Example: 15 meals / 60oz = 3oz per meal). I usually end up with around 3oz of dried soup per meal. They are large, hearty meals that leave me stuffed after a long day.
6. Once packaged, store them in the freezer or on the shelf until you’re ready to use them. I also like to write the date in which I packaged them on the outside, so that I know what needs to get eaten first.

Rehydration Instructions:

I made an Insulated Pouch to rehydrate my meals in. It is relatively small, lightweight, and can easily be stored with the rest of my food in my dry bag. While this “Pouch method” isn’t required to rehydrate your meal, it will dramatically cut down on your fuel canister usage. This may be largely beneficial if you’re an ADV rider who is off the grid, or even a v-twin touring rider who is venturing to less populated areas. Want to make one yourself? Check out this YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/1RjviJ0AlVI

1. Bring water to a boil in your Jetboil. Water amounts will differ based on your portion size. You’ll want enough water to cover your food by about .25-.5” in the food saver bag.
2. While you wait for water to boil, cut open the food saver bag and remove the parchment paper lining.
3. Once water is boiling, remove from heat and poor into the bag of dehydrated food. Again, make sure to cover your meal by about .25-.5″
4. Place food in your DIY thermal pouch for at least 15 minutes. I tend to leave mine in for 20-25 minutes, and it is still piping hot when I remove it. 
5. Remove your rehydrated meal and eat it directly from the bag, or place bag back in your Jetboil for a more structured “bowl.” This method requires less cleanup, however you’re welcome to pour your meal directly into a bowl or camp mug of your choosing if you wish.
6. Please remember to leave no trace, and to clean up any trash and dispose of it properly!

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