I first made this soup on a camp stove in my camper van during a six-month road trip, and then again and again and again as the nights grew colder, snowier, windier, darker. It starts with instant soup noodle mix—never leave home without it!—and then follows along the tradition of stracciatella, egg drop soup, hot and sour soup, and sopa de ajo, which are all cloudy with ribbons of egg. As the soup mix simmers, beat an egg in a soup bowl (the warm soup will cook any egg stuck to the bowl). Tear vegetables with your hands to save a knife and cutting board. Add the vegetables towards the end of the soup simmering, then stream in the egg. In a few seconds, what appears resembles clouds, or maybe rags (straccetti means “little rags”), or flowers (the direct translation of the Chinese name for egg drop soup is “egg flower soup”). In one pot, in a few minutes, on a stovetop or campfire, this soup is there for you: starch, vegetable, protein, warmth, comfort, and all.
If you’re spending the night in the middle of nowhere, you probably won’t want to carry a lot of supplies, so rustling up some freeze-dried food is really convenient. Instant dishes that you just pour water on to rehydrate used to be very popular. However, home-made versions not only taste a whole lot better, they also offer far more variety and are pretty cool. This mini-gourmet meal is definitely soul-food from a bag!
This recipe comes from The Campfire Cookbook. It's a quick and easy veggie packet perfect for overnight camping, picnics at the park, or just hanging out around the grill or fire pit in the backyard. (Chip Walton | The Splendid Table)
This recipe comes from The Campfire Cookbook. It's written with outdoor cooking in mind for campers with access to camping stove or burner, but could also be cooked on a backyard grill or kitchen stove. (Chip Walton | The Splendid Table)
This recipe comes from The Campfire Cookbook. Authors Viola Lex and Nico Stanitzok suggest you make these satisfying snack bars ahead of time to take on a camping trip or day hike. They also make for a wonderful midday or after-school snack. (Chip Walton | The Splendid Table)