Every time we make something at home we are thinking, “would this be good camping?”
We made Pumpkin Chili this winter and the answer was a unanimous YES!
We made a very slight adjustment to the recipe – we cut the veggies very, very small. You may also want to slightly mash or cut the beans so they dehydrate and rehydrate better.
This is a great vegetarian chili option.
This recipe comes from the cookbook “Thug Kitchen” a gift from the people we camp with. They will get the benefit of the cookbook this summer.
For other great recipes, pick up the book or check out the Thug Kitchen blog.
Ingredients
1 yellow onion
1 carrot
1 bell pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
2 1/2 tablespoons mild chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (14.5 oz) low-salt diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups pureed pumpkin (Note: use pure pumpkin – double check you are not using pie filling – ick)
2 cups vegetable broth or water
3 cups cooked beans
1 tablespoon lime juice
Toppings
You can use cilantro, chopped onion, jalapenos, avocado or tortilla strips. We will use avocado or tortilla chips on the canoe trip.
Directions
Chop up the onion, carrot and bell pepper into very very small pieces, even smaller than the beans you use.
In a big soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and bell pepper and saute them until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, jalapeno, soy sauce, and spices and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes, pumpkin, broth and beans and stir to mix.
Turn down the heat, cover and let that simmer together for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Turn off the heat and stir in the lime juice.
If you want, this is the time to mash the beans lightly.
Dehydrate
Place the stew on the dehydrator trays. Set the temperature to 145 F. Leave it on until it is completely dry. It will depend on your dehydrator, but you can try flipping it to check the bottom or break a bean in half as a test.
Vacuum seal.
In Camp
Cover with water and simmer. You can adjust the liquid as needed.
