After an impressive west coast Winter, the weather is warming quickly and we’re ready to get back up into those beautiful mountains and breathe in the pine and sage. But the idea of booking, packing, and cooking for a camping trip can seem overwhelming if there’s been some time off- even for us!
Here to help is our new cookbook, available now! It’s filled with more practical camping recipes for any type of trip. Here’s a favorite recipe that you can make right now while you’re waiting for your book to arrive!
Herby Red Lentil Spread
Yield
3 cupsPrep Time / Cook Time
/Activity Guide
Bike Touring, Car Camping, Day Trip, PicnicIngredients
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 1/2 cup bulgur
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (optional)
- 1 bunch fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
Tools
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Medium pot
- Skillet
- Spoon
Method
Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a 2-quart pot and add the lentils and bulgur. Turn down the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, partially cover with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.
Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes to steam and finish the cooking process.
Meanwhile, in a skillet set over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onion and saute until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, salt, and Aleppo pepper, and cook for a minute more. Add 1 tablespoon of water to help scrape up any stuck-on tomato paste bits and mix those in. Turn off the heat.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked red lentils and bulgur, the spiced onion mixture, and the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix with a fork, mashing everything together until well combined.
Add the parsley and scallions and mix until evenly distributed.
Keep the spread refrigerated until you are ready to pack it for your outing.
Serve with crackers, hummus, and crudités.
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