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French Lentil Salad - Dehydrated Trail Meal - Cold Soak Friendly

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Servings: 2
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the dehydrated base
  • 1½ cups Puy lentils or green lentils
  • 1 red pepper finely diced
  • 1 carrot peeled and finely diced
  • 1 small red onion finely diced
  • 1 stick celery finely diced
  • 2 garlic cloves sliced
For the dressing
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard optional
  • ¾ –1 tsp sea salt plus more to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Skip or minimise oil at this stage—add it fresh at camp instead.
To pack separately
  • 50 –70g goat cheese or feta
  • A handful of chopped walnuts
  • Small bottle of olive oil
  • Optional: extra vinegar sachet

Method
 

At home:
  1. At Home: Cook & Dehydrate
  2. Cook the lentils
  3. Rinse the lentils, then simmer in plenty of water. After 15 minutes, add the diced vegetables and garlic. Cook for another 5–10 minutes, until the lentils are tender but still holding their shape.
  4. Season while warm
  5. Drain well, then toss with vinegar, mustard (if using), salt, and pepper. Taste—it should be slightly sharper and more seasoned than you'd expect.
  6. Dehydrate
  7. Spread thinly on dehydrator trays. Dry at 57–63°C for 8–12 hours, until completely dry and brittle.
  8. Pack
  9. Store in an airtight bag or jar. Keep the cheese, nuts, and oil separate.
On the trail:
  1. Tip the lentil mix into your pot or bowl (obviously use a leak proof container if you want to cold soak and carry this in your pack for a few hours).
  2. Add just enough cold water OR boiling water to cover.
  3. For cold soak, give it 2-3 hours to fully rehydrate. For boiling water method, wait about 10 minutes and you'll be there. Either way, give a stir after rehydrating and dive into your garnishes.
Garnish if you'd like with:
  1. A generous glug of olive oil
  2. Crumbled goat cheese
  3. Chopped walnuts
  4. Taste and adjust—more salt, more vinegar, more oil. It can take it.