Uruguayan Lentil Stew

Dress up your lentils with this recipe

I am just now returned from my Florida Trail section hike, and I don’t have time to work on a trip report just yet. But a food report, now, that doesn’t take nearly as much time.

And doesn’t that stew look amazing? Partly that’s because it WAS amazing. It also helps that my Pixel 3 takes much better pics than my old Samsung.

I made this meal on my first night in the “backcountry,” which happened to be at the Alexander Springs campground. Hey, the nice lady at the entrance station offered me the campsite next to the water supply AND the bathroom….it would have been impolite to turn her down.

I use the greenish-brown lentils for this recipe, and they definitely need some pre-soaking. Take care of this task a couple of hours before you plan to cook.

Here’s everything you need to make this tangy and tasty dish:

INGREDIENTS:

1 packet of olive oil

3 oz. package of shelf-stable real bacon bits/pieces (such as shown above)

1 small onion

2 cloves of garlic

2 TB dehydrated diced red pepper (in mini ziploc)

1/4 cup dehydrated cross-cut carrots (from North Bay Trading Co.) or equivalent. Splash some water on the pepper and carrot a few minutes before cooking.

1 TB Amore tomato paste (from small tube)

2 oz. red wine

1/2 TB oregano, pinch thyme, small bay leaf and 1/2 TB smoked paprika, all in mini ziploc

3/4 cup lentils

1 packet vegetable broth (Packit Gourmet). Use to make 1 cup broth.

Optional: small packet of sea salt and dash of Litehouse dehydrated parsley for garnishing

DIRECTIONS:

1. Dice the onion and garlic
2. Saute the onion in olive oil until translucent, then add garlic for an additional minute.
3. Add 2 oz. red wine and spices, reduce.
4. Add lentils, 1 cup vegetable broth, red pepper, carrots, bacon bits and tomato paste, simmer at least 15 minutes (test to make sure the lentils are appropriately soft).
5. Season with sea salt, garnish with parsley (optional)

NOTES:

You can substitute freeze-dried or dehydrated onion and garlic dices if you like, but I much prefer these 2 items to be fresh. My luxury weight. Also, don’t forget to give the lentils a substantial pre-soaking.

This was made in a 0.9L Evernew pot, but only barely. It is enough to feed one really hungry hiker, or two more modest appetites, particularly if you stretch the meal with a small loaf of french bread or something similar.

Now, where do you get 2 oz. of red wine? Well, I like to bring the 7 oz. bottles you can get in 4-packs at the grocery store. What happens to the other 5 oz?