Camp Chilli

This is the chili you throw in your backpack when you want a hot, filling meal at the end of a long trail day without hauling a cooler.

Every single ingredient is dry and shelf-stable: lentils, tomato soup powder, masa flour, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and dried onion flakes.

Dump it all in a pot with four cups of water, simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, and you’ve got a thick, smoky, protein-packed bowl of chili that rivals anything you’d make at home.

It’s vegan, high in fiber, and weighs next to nothing in your pack.

Pro Tips

• Pre-mix at home. Combine all the dry ingredients in a ziplock bag before your trip. At camp, just add water and cook.
• Masa flour is the thickener. It gives the chili body and a subtle corn flavor. Cornmeal works in a pinch but won’t dissolve as smoothly.
• Bring hot sauce packets. A few dashes of your favorite hot sauce at camp takes this from good to great.