A creamy sauce with savory mushrooms and pasta is perfect after a hard hike. This dish has the added virtues of being simple and easy to make. This recipe will work well mild winter conditions (above freezing).
Category: Recipes for Winter Backpacking
Doubanjiang is a super delicious spicy bean sauce made with chilies and fermented bean paste. It is more salty and umami in flavor than Gochujang. This Ramen broth will be satisfying with or without the optional ingredients of veggie stock and Kombu. This recipe will work well in the winter conditions we typically encounter on our coldest trips (0–15ºF).
This is similar to Pad Thai but has a peanut tasting sauce instead of Tamarine. You can use Tofu or peanuts for protein. Sometimes I use both. Works best in temperatures above 20ºF.
This is one of my favorite quick meals. More challenging to make with a small 1 liter pot than a Ramen or Phö, but sometimes you just want a savory noodle dish and this one will not disappoint. The Korean chili powder gives it a smokey flavor. Best in temperatures above 40ºF.
One of my favorite backpacking foods is cheese quesadillas. They are good for breakfast, lunch or dinner and snacks in between. Most every hiker will want them as soon as they smell them cooking. I expect the only reason I have never seen anyone else making them is that most hikers are using super-weight saving and efficient cooking systems that simply can’t handle anything as large as a street taco.
Ramen is a popular backpacking choice, but usually in ready-made and prepackaged forms. Here I’m going to share a very simple way to create your own fresh Ramen. This recipe will work well in deep cold winter conditions (0–15ºF).
Granola is common in America, but in Europe, Muesli is the popular choice. It takes many forms depending on the country and usually contains no added sugar. The Swiss and UK versions may contain mostly oat flakes, wheat flakes, barley flakes, mixed dried fruit, such as sultanas or raisins, and chopped Hazelnuts and/or Almonds. Some will include whey powder (cows’ milk).
Packing eggs can be tricky. One solution is substituting some crumbled tofu with turmeric and then go next-level with chili power or sauce.
Typically, I eat oatmeal most winter days and muesli most summer days. At home I’ll eat rolled oats and when backpacking I’ll switch to quick oats or instant oats. My own preference is plain oats with raisins as a sweetener.
This is one of my favorites. Although it has a creamy sause it is not soupy enough to reheat easily so in cold weather it will go cold quickly. It works best in temperatures above freezing, more in the 40–50ºF range.