Vegan Chili Recipe for Dehydrating
Considerations for dehydrating your food:
Add low or no oil to the dish. Oil can cause the dehydrated food to become rancid and spoil it.
Cut all of the ingredients into small, consistent sizes. This helps them dehydrate and then rehydrate at a more similar rate.
Potency of flavour tends to be diminished during the dehydration process, so consider adding a bit of extra spice during the cooking process.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp water or olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 diced carrots
2 diced stalks of celery
1 diced red bell pepper
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
Salt to taste
Cooking Instructions:
Add either 1 tbsp water or olive oil to a large pot and place on medium heat for two minutes. Add the mushrooms. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add the onions to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic, celery, and carrots. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the red bell pepper, can of diced tomatoes, and salt. If all of the ingredients are not submerged in liquid, add a little bit of water to ensure all vegetables can cook within the liquid. Bring pot to a boil and then turn down to low and simmer covered for approximately 20 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are cooked.
While the pot is simmering, open and drain the cans of beans. Rinse them with water.
Once the vegetables are cooked, add the black beans, kidney beans, and maple syrup to the pot. Season with additional salt if needed for taste. Remove from heat.
Please note: during the dehydration process, the flavours tend to lose intensity and become more subdued. If you try the chili and it tastes like the perfect amount of spice, consider adding more chili powder or a pinch of cayenne powder to compensate for the loss of flavour during the dehydration process.
Dehydrating Instructions:
Most consumer grade dehydrators should work for this process. I have one by Hamilton Beach. You can either use the tray liners that come with the dehydrator or parchment paper. I prefer using parchment paper, since it’s easier to remove the food once it’s been dehydrated.
Line all of your dehydrator trays.
Transfer the chili onto the tray using a spoon. Spread the chili out so that it is in a single layer. Eg. two beans side by side instead of stacked on top of each other. You will start to get the feel for how thick of a layer your dehydrator can handle. I have had my food develop mold when the layer was too thick before, so keep that in mind.
Once the dehydrator is full, turn it on and set the temperature. I usually use 160F and set it for about 20 hours. Chili usually takes 12-18 hours to fully dehydrate on my dehydrator.
You may need to run the dehydrator twice if the entire pot of chili does not fit on the dehydrator trays. I usually put the leftover chili in the fridge and then transfer it onto the trays once the first round is fully dried and removed.
Run the dehydrator until the food is completely dry. When you touch each ingredient it should be firm and not squishy nor soft.
Weigh out each camp serving and store in a vacuum sealed bag or similar. Each serving should be 150-200g (5-7 ounces) of dried food. Although you may find a different weight works better for you.
Now you’re done! I usually find this recipe makes about 4-5 x 150g camp meals; however, the amount does vary. I hope you enjoy this tasty chili out in the backcountry!
Rehydrating Instructions:
Hot meal instructions:
Place your dehydrated food into your pot.
Cover your meal with water.
Bring water to a boil.
Turn off your stove and cover your pot.
Let sit for ~10 minutes.
Take off lid and enjoy!
Cold soak instructions:
Place your dehydrated meal in your designated cold soaking container a few hours before you want to eat it.
Pour water into container to cover meal.
Let sit for ~3-4 hours.
Enjoy!
*Some of my links are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
