Red Lentil Chili
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Dehydrated Red Lentil Chili is a warm and hearty vegan backpacking meal that is loaded with plant-based protein to keep your muscles fueled on the trail. Cheap to make, quick to cook, and guaranteed to fill you up!
We like incorporating a few plant-based options in our backpacking meal plans. They’re relatively inexpensive to prepare and tend to be less susceptible to spoiling while hiking.
The only problem is they can be light on protein. That’s not such a big deal for quick overnight trips, but on longer multi-day hikes, getting enough protein can be critical – especially if we are really working our muscles. But if we wanted to bump up the protein, then we would have to get creative.
A lot of vegan and vegetarian hikers use protein bars to supplement their trail diet. While this approach definitely works, we find ourselves suffering from protein bar fatigue mid-way through Day Two. So the idea of having another protein bar for dinner just doesn’t sound appetizing to us.
What we’re looking for is a meal, a vegan meal, a vegan meal with a LOT of protein. And that’s where this Red Lentil Chili comes in!
How to make dehydrated lentil chili
Using a combination of red lentils and kidney beans, this vegan chili is filled with over 20 grams of protein per serving. (Twice what you’ll find in most protein bars!) Red lentils are a great source of plant protein but can take a long time to cook (around 25 minutes) Not very practical on a tiny backpacking stove with limited fuel. So we opted instead to cook everything at home and then dehydrate it. Then on the trail, all we need to do is add water and boil for 10 minutes.
Now when it comes to chili, everyone has their own preference. Some like it hot, some like it mild, and some like no spice at all. And that’s another reason why this particular recipe is so great. By making this recipe at home and then dehydrating it, you’re able to test the final product before fully committing to it. Because the last thing anyone wants when backpacking is to discover the bowl of chili you packed for your dinner is too spicy to eat!
Gear spotlight: Choosing a dehydrator
From making jerky and fruit leathers to drying fresh fruits and vegetables for longer term storage, or even creating dehydrated just-add-boiling-water for backpacking trips or emergencies, there are dozens of ways to use a dehydrator.
As with most kitchen appliances, there are a number of options to choose from. There are two that we see over and over again. If you’re budget conscious (????) the Nesco Snackmaster Pro is probably your best bet. If you will be doing a lot of dehydrating, you’ll likely be able to recoup the cost of one of the Excalibur model dehydrators, which has long held the position of best-of-the-best in the dehydrating community.
More dehydrated backpacking meals
↠ Dehydrated Risotto
↠ Red Lentil Marinara
↠ Backpacking Pasta Primavera
↠ Quinoa Chili
↠ Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced bell pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cups sliced zucchini
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 14oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 14oz can kidney beans, drained
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 + cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, peppers, and salt and saute until beginning to soften. Add zucchini and cook until vegetables are soft and beginning to turn golden in spots. Add garlic, cumin, and chili powder and saute until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add the tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, and 2 cups broth, stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then add the lentils. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, adding more water if needed. Stir in sugar and adjust seasoning to taste. Remove from heat.
- To dehydrate, spread the chili onto dehydrator trays lined with solid fruit leather sheets, ensuring the chili is in a thin, even layer. Dehydrate at 135F for 8-12 hours, until the chili is dry and crumbly.
- Package in sealable bags and store in a cool, dark place or your freezer for longer storage.Pack the dehydrated chili and a small bottle of olive oil (3-4 tablespoons total) in your bear barrel.
- To prepare in camp: At mealtime place the chili, ~1 cup water per serving (enough to mostly cover the chili), and 1 tablespoon oil per serving in a cookpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the beans and lentils and tender.
Looks like a wonderful recipe as I love chili
Think ill be trying this recipe soon. Thanks for the recipe!
I haven’t had success re-hydrating beans after I dehydrate them. They always end up being little rocks in the meal. I’ve used canned beans and home cooked beans. I did find “instant refried beans” at Natural grocers and it looks like dried smooshed beans and keep meaning to buy it and see how it’ work for backpacking meals. If you have any tips that’d be great, chili on the trail is perfect!
We’ve had similar problems with beans not rehydrating well in the past. You can lightly mash them with a fork before dehydration in order to open them up a little bit. You can also cold soak the meal prior to cooking on-site. Just put the meal into cold water in a pot before setting up camp. Any extra time in the water will help. Also worth noting, we last tested this recipe at sea level, and it is possible at elevation the bean will take longer to rehydrate.
Hey, this recipe sounds awesome!
Approximately how many servings does the Red Lentil Chili recipe serve?
This recipe makes 4 servings – I’ve updated the card to reflect that!
I think the nutritional info needs to be recalculated? If this recipe makes 4 servings, the calorie count seems really high… Just making sure my protein math for the trail is accurate!
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for catching that! The downside to using internet nutrition calculators is that they can be preeetty incaccurate sometimes!
I just ran this recipe through the calculator on MyFitnessPal.com and got these results (this assumes one tablespoon olive oil added per serving on the trail):
Calories: 520 | Fat: 19 | Carbs: 66 | Fiber: 26 | Protein: 22
Vit. A: 58% | Vit. C: 61% | Calcium: 47% | Iron: 45%
Hope that helps! I’m updating the recipe card as well 🙂
Megan
How long does this last without refrigerating? I have a 4 day camping trip coming up, will they last?
If fully dehydrated and properly stored, this meal should keep just fine unrefrigerated for at least two weeks. So if you are planning a backpacking trip, you could make it a week in advance and still have a week on the trip.
THIS. RECIPE. ROCKS. Easily rehydrated on the trail during my recent trip to the Sierras!! (The trick was that I over cooked the beans a bit, so they all split before I dehydrated them.) Definitely the tastiest thing I’ve had in the backcountry – EVER!
Alright! So glad you enjoyed it. This one is definitely one of our favorites too!
I’d like to make this as a add-boiling-water-to-a-rehydrate-bag. Has anyone done that with this recipe with success? I was wondering if it would work if I slightly mashed the beans as one
person previously commented.
I’ve made it that way and it works! 🙂 Good to mash beans a little or overcook them. I package my meals in Mylar bags with an oxygen absorber.
I made this at home. Tested by just pouring boiling water over in in a bowl, covering it and waiting 10 min. It turned our great!
“Better than any store-bought hiking meal I’ve ever tasted” was my hubby’s take on this. Easy to make, quick to dehydrate, yummy to eat. A firm favorite now. Thank you for this recipe
With a dehydrator and vacuum sealer will this save for an extended period of time? Like theoretically 6 months on the road? Planning the adventure of a lifetime for the summer and trying to start dealing with food along with permit application season.
Yes, vacuum sealing it will definitely help extend the shelf life. Six months seems totally reasonable. Hope you’re enjoying your adventure!
I don’t often leave reviews, but this recipe was FABULOUS! I couldn’t believe how good it was… I thought it called for a lot of cumin as I was making the recipe, but I followed it exactly, and it turned out so good. The red lentils also added a nice texture for a chili – almost reminiscent of ground beed texturally at least.
My husband took it on a backpacking trip with his guy friends and it was the best tasting thing on the whole trip (they said).
Thanks. This recipe rocks!!!
I’ve cooked, dehydrated, and rehydrated this recipe at least 3 times. It’s my favorite! Don’t forget the fritos/tortilla chips.