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Backcountry Hummus

A break from the usual lunch fare, this one is surprisingly popular. Lots of protein and fiber to keep hikers from getting hungry too quickly.

Course Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword backpacking, dairy-free, dayhike, egg-free, hypoallergenic, lactose-free, no shellfish, no tree nuts, vegan, vegetarian

Servings people

Calories 522kcal

Equipment

8 oz Nalgene travel bottle (for oil storage)
Dehydrator
Coffee grinder or food processor

Ingredients

14 oz Cooked Garbanzo Beans canned
1 tsp lemon juice
⅓ cup olive oil
salt to taste
2 cloves garlic minced
⅓ cup olive oil in Nalgene bottle
12 pita bread full size, or twice as many small ones

Instructions

At home

Place all of the ingredients in food processor and process until smooth, adding only as much water as needed to permit complete processing. The resulting paste should be completely smooth but can be thicker than normal hummus.
Cover a dehydrator tray with plastic wrap, wax paper, or a silicone sheet. Smear the hummus paste evenly over the surface of one or more such trays as needed to produce a layer no thicker than 1 cm.
Run the dehydrator at 140 degrees for 10 hours or until the paste has completely hardened. Transfer the dried hummus to a mixing bowl.
Using a coffee grinder or food processor, pulverize the dried hummus in batches into a fine powder. Place the powder in a zipper lock bag and store in the freezer until the outing.

In the field

In a small bowl or pot, combine powdered hummus, the ⅓ cup of olive oil from the Nalgene bottle, and some water to reconstitute the hummus. Add the water gradually, allowing time for absorption before adding more, mixing continuously until the desired consistency is achieved.
Serve with pita bread.

Notes

The key to quick rehydration in the field is to ensure that the dried hummus is ground into fine powder at home. In the field, it’s critical to add water slowly so that the hummus doesn’t get too watery. You can buy pre-made powdered hummus… but it’s expensive.

Nutrition

Backcountry Hummus