January 14, 2010Cooking with Myrite from tastylife.org: Mug O’ Soup

When you are out in the wilderness, it’s important to be prepared. You don’t want to end up eating Ramen noodles or Cup o’ Soups when you can easily warm up with your own delicious variety at camp. By equipping yourself with canned or dry beans, and vegetables that are easy to bring to camp such as carrots, onions, and sweet potatoes-- you won’t have to worry about spoilage.

My personal take on cooking, (which you will soon catch on to) is that it shouldn’t be something to fear and you don’t always have to rely on recipes if you understand a few basics. Most importantly, my advice is to trust yourself and constantly taste the pot and adjust the flavours according to your unique taste buds.

Yes, soup for you. Image by stu spicack @ flickr

I like to throw beans/legumes or grains to make a thicker soup and get in some extra protein and nutritional value. You don’t have to worry about the right proportions of bean or grain to water in this case because it is in a soup and the consistency doesn’t matter. If you need more liquid, add more. If you want a creamier consistency, use a handheld immersion blender to puree your soup. If you are at camp, you can add a can of coconut milk for extra creaminess. It pairs well with carrot/ginger soups, like this one:

Coco-Carrot Campy Soup

1-2 tbs olive oil
6 carrots
1 tsp cinnamon
2 medium onions
1 tsp sea salt
3 cups boiling water or vegetable broth
1 can of lite coconut milk
6” piece ginger chopped into small pieces
2 cloves crushed garlic

Wash peel and cut carrots and onions into similar sized chunks. Drizzle olive oil into the pot,
then add the garlic, onions, ginger and spices until onions soften and turn lightly brown. Then
add the vegetables until carrots become fragrant and soft, next add the water or broth. Bring
to a boil. Cover with a lid and simmer on medium heat for 30 minutes until carrots soften.
Add the coconut milk in last stages of cooking for creamy and delicious flavour. You may
drizzle maple syrup at the end, but save some for tomorrow’s pancakes!

My last word of advice to you is it is never too late to save your soup! As long as you taste it as it progresses, and adjust the flavours accordingly. If it is too salty, add more liquid. If you want more spices add them as you go. For more ideas for great soup combinations, try these:

Easy Breazy Soups

Try any of these combinations:

1. Carrot, parsnip, ginger, red lentils,
2. Squash, carrot, celery,
3. Broccoli, onion, kale, lima beans
4. Sweet potato, squash, onions, kidney beans
5. Beets, white cabbage, potato, carrots
6. Mushroom, leeks, onions and barley

Directions: Sautee one onion and 2 cloves of garlic/ginger with olive oil. Next, add your spices.* Followed by your vegetables that should simmer until they soften and become fragrant. In a kettle bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 cup of each vegetable that you chose to cook, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. If you are adding raw beans or grains add another 30-45 minutes to cooking time.
* turmeric is a great spice to add in with the oil and onions, since it is known to have anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties. It will also turn your onions a nice shade of yellow!

Happy and Tasty Trails,

Myrite
Holistic Wellness Coach
www.tastylife.org