Today, we are making a dehydrated sweet potato black bean quinoa bowl.
Using our Dehydrator Chef approach, we have dehydrated all of the ingredients in advance to build out our recipe. The ingredients have all been optimized to reconstitute in a reasonable period of time. So, you’ll have a hot, satisfying meal in less than 30 minutes out in the field or at the campsite.
So, let’s get started with our sweet potato black bean quinoa bowl.
Table of Contents
- Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl Recipe
- Supplies and Tools needed for this Dehydrated Camping Meal Recipe
- Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Dry Ingredients
- Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl Wet Ingredients
- Ingredient Notes
- At-Home Preparation
- In the Field Preparation
- Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl Nutrition Information
Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl Recipe
Our sweet potato black bean quinoa is easy to make with easy-to-source ingredients, and you can dehydrate them all yourself at home.
This recipe is also a great meal option for individuals interested in emergency preparedness and self-sufficiency, as it is an alternative to more expensive options such as freeze-dried.
Supplies and Tools needed for this Dehydrated Camping Meal Recipe
Supplies and tools are minimal for making our dehydrated sweet potato black bean quinoa bowl, and nothing special or out of the ordinary is needed.
- Several 1-quart zip-top bags
- Heavy-duty paper towels
- Labeling material such as masking tape and a waterproof all-weather pen
- Small food-safe leak-proof container (optional)
Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Dry Ingredients
This recipe makes one serving approximately 140 grams of dry mix. Of course, you can adjust the ingredients as you wish.
- 45 grams dehydrated quinoa
- 25 grams dehydrated sweet potato
- 30 grams dehydrated black beans
- 10 grams dehydrated onion
- 5 grams dehydrated RoTel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cilantro flake
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 grams dehydrated jalapeno pepper slices (optional)
- Chipotle pepper, crushed (optional)
Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl Wet Ingredients
- A quality oil, such as avocado or olive oil, in a leak-proof container (optional)
A bit of healthy cooking fat, such as olive or avocado oil, added to the meal after cooking will significantly enhance the flavor.
When making this at home or car camping, we’ll add a tin of sardines in olive oil to take this over the top.
Ingredient Notes
We recommend making and then trying this homemade dehydrated camping meal recipe several times at home before preparing it for the first time in the field so you will know what to expect. Armed with this experience, you can dial in the spices how you like and add or subtract any of the other ingredients. Don’t depend on untested gear or untested recipes. Not testing so would be a recipe for disaster and could make for a miserable experience.
At-Home Preparation
Combine all the dry ingredients into a single food-safe 1-quart quality name-brand zip-top bag for the best storage results. The sharp edges of dehydrated ingredients may cause micro-punctures in lesser-quality zip-top plastic bags.
Double bagging involves using two zip-top bags with a separator, such as a heavy-duty paper towel, which helps protect against punctures, leaks, and water penetration, preserving the food’s integrity and making it suitable for field or pantry storage.
These heavy-duty paper towels have over 11,000 Amazon customer reviews with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars, which is evidence of a great product. You may be able to find them at your local big-box megamart automotive department.
Compared to the local big box stores, Amazon has the best prices for the Ziploc 1-quart zip-top bags. So says the 20,000 plus Amazon customer reviewers who took the time to leave feedback. The rough edges and sharp ends of dehydrated foods very often compromise generic zip-top bags. Quality zip-top bags are a necessity when making dehydrated meals for camping.
Need another reason to buy quality name-brand Ziploc bags? An analysis commissioned by the Mamavation website showed that the majority of plastic sandwich bags sold in the U.S. contain high levels of toxic PFAS, also known as forever chemicals. Ziploc was one brand that contained no detectable levels of forever chemicals.
Be sure to include a short note with the name of the dish and detailed preparation instructions. This homemade dehydrated camping meal will look just like all others in your pack. We have included printable and detailed preparation instructions near the end of this page.
A bit of healthy cooking fat, such as olive or avocado oil added to the meal after cooking will significantly enhance the flavor.
In the Field Preparation
Empty the dry-mix contents of the zip-top bag into a suitable-sized cooking pot.
Measure in enough water to cover the dry ingredients. Then add more water. Stir to mix thoroughly. Cover, and let the dry ingredients hydrate for several minutes. Stir several times, and add more water if needed to keep all ingredients covered and well-saturated with water.
Most Dehydrator Chef recipes call for adding a touch more water after just covering the dry mix. This recipe is an exception; you’ll want to add a good amount of extra water. Dehydrated quinoa reconstitutes best in a 4 to 1 ratio of water to product. You’ll want to make this one a few times at home to gain experience and develop an eye for a good water-to-quinoa ratio.
I’ll go with a minimum of five minutes of soaking time to allow the dry ingredients to reconstitute. Five minutes is a good rule of thumb for our collection of Dehydrator Chef recipes.
One last thing: a little too much water is better than not enough water. Sure, dinner might be a little bit soupy; however, soupy is better than hard and crunchy. Lastly, soupy helps prevent burning.
Next, on your cooking stove and over medium flame, bring the hydrating mix to a boil, frequently stirring frequently to mix. After coming to a boil, if your stove is capable of a low-heat simmer, turn the flame down to reduce the chance of burning.
After two minutes or more of simmering, stirring, and mixing the ingredients, turn off the stove and move the pot into an insulated wrap or cozy to rest and hydrate for at least 15 to 20 minutes more, allowing the flavors to blend and the ingredients to reconstitute fully.
Practice these Dehydrator Chef homemade dehydrated camping meal recipes at home several times with the very same outdoor kitchen gear used in the field or at the campsite. This approach lets you practice your skills to know what to expect and where to adapt.
Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is only an estimate. The nutrition information of this recipe may differ depending on the ingredients you use.
Approximate Serving Size: 140 grams | Calories: 546kcal | Total Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 172mg | Carbohydrate: 107g | Dietary Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 21g| Protein: 21g
Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl
Equipment
- Labeling materials (masking tape, waterproof all-weather pen)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 45 grams dehydrated quinoa
- 25 grams dehydrated sweet potato
- 30 grams dehydrated black beans
- 10 grams dehydrated onion
- 5 grams dehydrated RoTel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dehydrated cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (optional)
- 1 chipotle pepper (crushed)
- 3 grams dehydrated jalapeno pepper slices (optional)
Wet Ingredients
- quality cooking oil, such as avocado or olive oil (stored in a leak-proof container)
Instructions
At Home Preparation
- Add the dry ingredients to a food-safe 1-quart quality name-brand zip-top bag. Label the zip-top with the contents and the date.45 grams dehydrated quinoa, 25 grams dehydrated sweet potato, 30 grams dehydrated black beans, 10 grams dehydrated onion, 5 grams dehydrated RoTel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon dehydrated cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 3 grams dehydrated jalapeno pepper slices, 1 chipotle pepper
- Store the leak-proof container of cooking oil in your cooking pot or with your camp kitchen spices and condiment packets.quality cooking oil, such as avocado or olive oil
Packaging
- Wrap the zip-top bag with a heavy-duty paper towel to help guard against punctures, leaks, and water penetration due to the sharp edges of the dehydrated ingredients and to protect the food's integrity. This way, it remains viable in the field or pantry storage.
- Add the paper towel wrapped dry mix bag to the last food-safe 1-quart quality name-brand zip-top bag and label it with the contents and the date.
In the Field Preparation
- Empty the dry mix contents of the zip-top bag into a suitable-sized cooking pot.
- Add enough water to cover the dry ingredients. Then add a tad bit more water, Dehydrated quinoa will absorb a lot of water. Cover, and let the dry ingredients hydrate for a minimum of five minutes.
- After five minutes, add more water if the mix is still too thick.
- Next, on your cooking stove and over medium flame, bring the hydrating mix to a boil, frequently stirring to mix. After coming to a boil, turn the flame down to a simmer to reduce the chance of burning.
- After two or more minutes of simmering and stirring, turn off the stove and move the pot into an insulated wrap or cozy to rest, hydrate, and steam for 15 to 20 minutes or more for the flavors to blend and the ingredients to fully reconstitute.
- If desired, add a bit of the healthy cooking oil from the leak-proof container. Stir to combine.quality cooking oil, such as avocado or olive oil
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is only an estimate and may differ depending on the ingredients you use.
Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl Preperation Instructions
Equipment
- camp kitchen equipment (including camping stove, cooking pot, utensils, etc.)
Materials
- 1 serving dehydrated sweet potato black bean quinoa bowl
Instructions
- Empty the dehydrated sweet potato black bean quinoa bowl dry mix contents of the zip-top bag into your cooking pot.
- Pour in enough water to cover the dry mix, then add a tad bit more. Dehydrated quinoa will absorb a lot of water.
- Cover, and let the dry ingredients hydrate in your camp cookware for at least five minutes. Stir all of the way to the bottom now and again.
- Next, on your cooking stove and over a medium flame, bring the dry mix to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- After bringing the dry mix to a boil, turn the stove down to a low simmer for two minutes.
- After two or more minutes of simmering and stirring, turn off the stove and move the pot into an insulated wrap or cozy to rest and hydrate for 15 to 20 minutes or more for the flavors to blend and the ingredients to fully reconstitute.
- Finally, after the sweet potato black bean quinoa bowl has rested for 15 to 20 minutes, add some of the optional cooking oil and stir to mix. Enjoy!