Chorizo and tomato couscous: an easy, quick hiking meal

DifficultyBeginner

If you're new to cooking hiking meals, this is a great recipe to start with. It's tasty and filling, doesn't weigh much in your backpack, and is quick and easy to cook.

Yields2 Servings
Prep Time5 minsCook Time40 minsTotal Time45 mins
Summary
 400 g total weight (dry ingredients)
 0.70 l total volume dry ingredients (approx.)
 This recipe uses perishable ingredients. You should use your own judgement as to whether it's suitable for your hike.
Water and fuel
 500 ml water
Ingredients
 ½ tbsp olive oil
 1 chorizo sausage, ideally vacuum packed, with with a long use-by date
 1 small onion
 ½ tbsp Moroccan seasoning mix
 500 ml water
 ½ chicken stock cube or vegetarian equivalent (each cube makes 1 cup of stock)
 1 tbsp dried parsley
 ½ cup couscous
 1 tsp dried chilli (optional)
  cup tomato powder
Alternative option (if you can't get tomato powder)
</div><div>You can use tomato paste instead of tomato powder. It's a bit heavier, but the results will be the same.
 ¼ cup tomato paste (triple concentrate)
Packing for your hike
1

Put couscous, dried green peas, tomato powder, Moroccan spice mix, dried parsley and dried chilli flakes in separate bags. If your chorizo is vacuum sealed, leave it in its packaging - otherwise put it a sealed plastic bag.

Ingredients for tomato and chorizo couscous: onion, moroccan spice, stock cube, tomato powder, dried parsley, dried chilli, dried green peas, couscous, chorizo and olive oil. Photo: A Hutchings

Before cooking
2

Slice chorizo and onion.

Sliced chorizo and sliced onion on hiker's lightweight chopping mat. Photo: A Hutchings

Cooking
3

Heat olive oil on medium heat. Fry chorizo for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove from the pan.

Chorizo frying on camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

4

Fry onion in the same pan for around 5 minutes or until soft. Add Moroccan seasoning and stir for a minute or so, until fragrant.

Onion frying on camping stove, with Moroccan seasoning. Photo: A Hutchings

5

Add water, then stir in tomato powder (or tomato paste), stock cube, dried green peas and dried parsley. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, covered.

Stock, dried green peas, tomato powder and dried parsley added to fried onion on camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

6

Turn off the stove, then stir in the couscous. Leave for 5 minutes, covered, to absorb the liquid.

Stirring couscous into the stock mixture on camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

7

Fluff up the couscous with a fork. Stir in the chorizo and cook for a minute or two on medium heat, until the chorizo is warmed through. Divide among bowls. Sprinkle over dried chilli to taste.

Tomato and chorizo couscous in camping bowl. Photo: A Hutchings

Ingredients

Summary
 400 g total weight (dry ingredients)
 0.70 l total volume dry ingredients (approx.)
 This recipe uses perishable ingredients. You should use your own judgement as to whether it's suitable for your hike.
Water and fuel
 500 ml water
Ingredients
 ½ tbsp olive oil
 1 chorizo sausage, ideally vacuum packed, with with a long use-by date
 1 small onion
 ½ tbsp Moroccan seasoning mix
 500 ml water
 ½ chicken stock cube or vegetarian equivalent (each cube makes 1 cup of stock)
 1 tbsp dried parsley
 ½ cup couscous
 1 tsp dried chilli (optional)
  cup tomato powder
Alternative option (if you can't get tomato powder)
</div><div>You can use tomato paste instead of tomato powder. It's a bit heavier, but the results will be the same.
 ¼ cup tomato paste (triple concentrate)

Directions

Packing for your hike
1

Put couscous, dried green peas, tomato powder, Moroccan spice mix, dried parsley and dried chilli flakes in separate bags. If your chorizo is vacuum sealed, leave it in its packaging - otherwise put it a sealed plastic bag.

Ingredients for tomato and chorizo couscous: onion, moroccan spice, stock cube, tomato powder, dried parsley, dried chilli, dried green peas, couscous, chorizo and olive oil. Photo: A Hutchings

Before cooking
2

Slice chorizo and onion.

Sliced chorizo and sliced onion on hiker's lightweight chopping mat. Photo: A Hutchings

Cooking
3

Heat olive oil on medium heat. Fry chorizo for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove from the pan.

Chorizo frying on camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

4

Fry onion in the same pan for around 5 minutes or until soft. Add Moroccan seasoning and stir for a minute or so, until fragrant.

Onion frying on camping stove, with Moroccan seasoning. Photo: A Hutchings

5

Add water, then stir in tomato powder (or tomato paste), stock cube, dried green peas and dried parsley. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, covered.

Stock, dried green peas, tomato powder and dried parsley added to fried onion on camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

6

Turn off the stove, then stir in the couscous. Leave for 5 minutes, covered, to absorb the liquid.

Stirring couscous into the stock mixture on camping stove. Photo: A Hutchings

7

Fluff up the couscous with a fork. Stir in the chorizo and cook for a minute or two on medium heat, until the chorizo is warmed through. Divide among bowls. Sprinkle over dried chilli to taste.

Tomato and chorizo couscous in camping bowl. Photo: A Hutchings

Notes

Chorizo and tomato couscous: an easy, quick hiking meal
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