Skip to content
SurviveBetter
Technique

Red lentil soup (dal) from the backpack

Split red lentils are the fastest pulses: they need no soaking and fall apart after about 10 to 15 minutes into a thick, filling soup. With a stock cube, dried onion and spices, and coconut milk powder if you like, it becomes a dal that you scoop out of the pot with flatbread. What matters: a small flame, frequent stirring and cooking the lentils until completely soft.

Difficulty
Beginner
Effort
About 20–25 minutes, of which 10–15 minutes simmering
Risk level
Safety relevant
Red lentil soup (dal) from the backpack
Mood picture, not an instruction. The text and steps are what count.
Report an error

Explained simply

Lentils are small, flat seeds that fill you up a lot. Red lentils have a special advantage: they have no skin any more. That is why you do not have to soak them overnight like beans but can cook them straight away. After about a quarter of an hour they fall apart into a thick soup.

For the soup you boil water with a stock cube, dried onions and spices. Then the lentils go in, and everything bubbles quietly. Now and then you stir so nothing sticks to the bottom. When the lentils are completely soft, the soup is ready.

With a piece of flatbread you can dip the soup straight out of the pot – the bread is then your spoon. Make sure the stove always stands outside and the soup is eaten straight away. Without a fridge you do not keep leftovers for tomorrow.

How it works

Pulses such as beans, chickpeas and lentils have a firm skin that lets water in only slowly. That is why many of them are soaked for a long time and cooked for a long time. Split red lentils no longer have this skin and are usually halved. Water reaches the soft inside at once, and the lentils cook without soaking in about 10 to 15 minutes.

When cooked, red lentils fall apart by themselves. Their starch passes into the water and thickens the soup – you do not need to purée anything. The longer they cook, the creamier the soup becomes. Green and brown lentils, on the other hand, keep their skin, take much longer and stay as whole lentils.

Because the cooking water itself becomes the soup, nothing is lost: no nutrients, no water that you have to pour away. That makes lentil soup a good dish when water and fuel are limited – but it needs more water than couscous or porridge.

What really matters

Lentils foam while cooking. The foam is harmless but can boil over and put out the flame. That is why you use a pot of at least one litre, turn the flame down low and put the lid on only halfway. Rinsing once briefly before cooking reduces the foam but is not a must if water is scarce.

The soup gets thick – and thick soups burn. Stir every one to two minutes and scrape across the bottom of the pot as you do so. If the soup gets too thick, simply add some water.

Salt only goes in at the end. Stock cubes are often very salty already, and an over-salted soup can hardly be rescued outdoors. Stir coconut milk powder smooth in a mug with a little soup first, otherwise it forms lumps.

Safety: what to watch out for

The stove always stands outdoors, never in the tent or vestibule – because of carbon monoxide and because tent fabric burns quickly. A tall stove with a small pot tips over easily; so when stirring, hold the handle with the pot grip. With a scald, cool it at once with cool running water and with large areas, on the face or with children call 112, in Austria also 144.

Lentils are only eaten once they are completely soft. Half-cooked pulses sit heavily in the stomach. At high altitude water already boils at a lower temperature, so lentils take longer there – better to check once more.

Read the ingredients lists before the trip: stock cubes often contain celery, coconut milk powder often milk protein, flatbread usually wheat. And cooked food is eaten straight away. In a pot that stands lukewarm for hours, germs multiply quickly.

Tips and tricks

Saving fuel: let the lentils simmer for only about five minutes, then turn off, put the lid on firmly and wrap the pot in a beanie or jacket – but only once it is no longer on the stove. After a quarter of an hour the lentils are usually soft. If the soup is only lukewarm, bring it briefly to the boil once more.

Flatbread is spoon and sponge at once: with the last piece you wipe the pot clean. Then you need hardly any washing water, and nothing is left that could attract animals.

Spices make the difference. A small tin with curry powder, cumin, paprika and a little chilli weighs almost nothing and turns simple ingredients into a really good meal. For children leave out the heat and use more coconut milk.

Step by step

Red lentil soup (dal) from the backpack

Step 1 of 8

Pack at home

Put about 80–100 g of red lentils per person into a bag. A second small bag holds ½ stock cube, 1 tablespoon of dried onion and ½ teaspoon of curry powder or cumin, plus garlic powder if you like. Pack coconut milk powder and flatbread separately. While doing so, read the ingredients lists for allergens such as celery and milk.

Red lentil soup (dal) from the backpack – Step 1 of 8Pack at home. Put about 80–100 g of red lentils per person into a bag. A second small bag holds ½ stock cube, 1 tablespoon of dried onion and ½ teaspoon of curry powder or cumin, plus garlic powder if you like. Pack coconut milk powder and flatbread separately. While doing so, read the ingredients lists for allergens such as celery and milk.
Step 1 of 8

Step 1 of 8

Pack at home

Put about 80–100 g of red lentils per person into a bag. A second small bag holds ½ stock cube, 1 tablespoon of dried onion and ½ teaspoon of curry powder or cumin, plus garlic powder if you like. Pack coconut milk powder and flatbread separately. While doing so, read the ingredients lists for allergens such as celery and milk.

  1. 1

    Pack at home

    Put about 80–100 g of red lentils per person into a bag. A second small bag holds ½ stock cube, 1 tablespoon of dried onion and ½ teaspoon of curry powder or cumin, plus garlic powder if you like. Pack coconut milk powder and flatbread separately. While doing so, read the ingredients lists for allergens such as celery and milk.

  2. 2

    Check the lentils

    Pour the lentils into the lid or onto a plate and look for small stones. If there is enough water, rinse them once briefly with a little water – then they foam less. If water is scarce, skip the rinsing; that is no problem.

  3. 3

    Set up the cooking spot outdoors

    Set the stove up outdoors on firm, level, non-combustible ground, at a distance from the tent. For soup you need a pot of at least one litre so nothing boils over. Have spoon, pot grip and the bags ready.

    Never cook in the tent or vestibule – carbon monoxide and fire danger.

  4. 4

    Boil the water with stock and spices

    Put about 400–500 ml of safe water per person into the pot, along with the spice bag's stock cube, dried onion and spices. Lid on and bring to the boil. Stir briefly so the stock cube dissolves.

  5. 5

    Stir in the lentils and simmer

    Stir the lentils into the boiling water, turn the flame down low and put the lid on only halfway so the foam does not spill over. Let everything simmer for about 10–15 minutes. Stir every one to two minutes and scrape across the bottom, because the soup gets thick and settles at the bottom.

    The foam is harmless – turn the flame down rather than closing the lid fully.

  6. 6

    Check that it is done

    Take a few lentils on the spoon, let them cool briefly and squash them: they must be completely soft and fall apart, without a hard core. If the soup is too thick, add water; if it is too thin, let it simmer uncovered a little longer. At high altitude it takes longer.

  7. 7

    Season and finish

    Turn off the stove. First stir the coconut milk powder smooth in a mug with a little warm soup and then into the pot – that way there are no lumps. A spoonful of oil makes the soup rounder. Only now taste whether it needs salt, because the stock is already salty. Flatbread serves as a spoon for dipping.

  8. 8

    Eat promptly and clean up without a trace

    Eat the soup while it is hot and do not keep leftovers for the next day. Wipe the pot out with a piece of flatbread – then you need hardly any washing water. Rinse the rest with a little water, strain out the food scraps, take them with you and scatter the water far away from any stream or lake.

The animation is a schematic drawing of the steps above and, like all content, still awaits a fact check.

Common mistakes

  • Using green or brown lentils instead of red and wondering after 15 minutes why they are hard
  • Full flame and lid tight on – the foam boils over and puts out the flame
  • Not stirring – the thick soup burns on the bottom
  • Salting too early although the stock is already salty
  • Tipping coconut milk powder straight into the pot – it goes lumpy
  • Eating half-cooked lentils because you are very hungry
  • Leaving leftovers in the pot overnight and eating them cold in the morning

Quick view

Materials

  • Red lentils (split)

    About 80–100 g per person

    Always cook until completely soft – raw or half-cooked pulses are hard to digest.

    Check for small stones before cooking.

  • Stock cube or stock powder and spices

    Per person ½ stock cube, 1 tablespoon dried onion, ½ teaspoon curry powder or cumin

    Stock is often very salty – only add more salt at the end.

    Stock cubes can contain celery, gluten or milk: read the ingredients list.

  • Food-grade water bag

    About 400–500 ml of safe water per person

    Use only for drinking water, never for chemicals or fuel.

  • Coconut milk powder(optional)

    2 tablespoons per person (about 15–20 g)

    Many coconut milk powders contain milk protein – read the ingredients list carefully with milk allergy.

  • Olive oil or rapeseed oil in a leak-proof bottle(optional)

    1 tablespoon per person, adds energy and flavour

    Decant it into a leak-proof screw-top bottle and put it in a bag – leaked oil smears the whole backpack.

    Never put out burning oil with water – put a lid on.

  • Flatbread, tortilla or crispbread(optional)

    1–2 pieces per person for dipping

    Usually made from wheat – contains gluten.

    Pack dry and flat; throw away tortillas with mould spots.

  • Metal pot (stainless steel, aluminium, titanium)

    At least 1 litre so nothing boils over

    Hot – scalding risk.

  • Stove

    Never operate inside a tent, shelter or enclosed room – carbon monoxide and fire risk.

  • Stove fuel (canister, liquid fuel, alcohol)

    Store fuels apart from food and in original containers or bottles intended for them.

    Store cool, well ventilated and out of children's reach.

  • Lighter, matches or ferro rod

    Observe local fire bans.

  • Long spoon (titanium, wood or heat-resistant plastic)

    A long handle keeps your hand out of the hot steam.

    Thin plastic can melt on the hot rim of the pot.

  • Pot insulation (pot cosy, beanie or fleece jacket)(optional)

    For the fuel-saving variant

    Only around a pot that is no longer on the stove – fabric catches fire at the flame.

    Do not use the sleeping bag: spills make it wet and dirty.

Suitable for

  • A warm dinner after a long day
  • Cold, wet days – the soup warms you and provides fluid
  • Vegetarian and vegan food
  • Home stocks that keep for a long time without a fridge

Not suitable for

  • Cooking in the tent or vestibule – never
  • Places with very little water – then rather couscous
  • Green or brown lentils without plenty of time and fuel – they take much longer
  • People with celery or milk allergy if stock and coconut powder have not been checked

Prerequisites

  • Able to operate a stove safely
  • A level, sheltered spot outdoors
  • Enough safe water – soup needs more water than porridge
  • Knowing whether anyone in the group has allergies

Safety

  • Lentils foam while cooking and boil over easily; thick soup bubbles and spits. Small flame, lid only half on and do not lean over the pot while stirring. Never let oil get hot and then pour water in – it spatters. A small pot on a tall stove tips over easily. While stirring, hold the pot handle with a pot grip or glove, children stay outside the cooking corner, and nobody reaches across the flame. With a scald or burn, cool at once with cool running water; with large areas, burns to the face or in children call 112 (in Austria also 144).
  • Only eat the lentils when they are completely soft and falling apart. Half-cooked pulses sit heavily in the stomach and can cause stomach ache. At high altitude they take longer.
  • Stock cubes often contain celery and sometimes gluten or milk, coconut milk powder often milk protein, flatbread usually wheat. Read the ingredients lists beforehand. Breathing difficulty, swelling of the face or throat, hives all over the body or circulation problems after eating can be a severe allergic reaction: call 112 at once (in Austria also 144) and, if available, use the person's adrenaline auto-injector.
  • Do not leave cooked food lukewarm in the pot for hours – germs multiply quickly in it. Only cook as much as you will eat straight away; keep leftovers without cooling for at most about two hours and then bring them to a rolling boil or throw them away.

How it works

Red lentils are already hulled and usually split. Without the skin, water gets in quickly, so they soften in a short time without soaking and fall apart into a purée. The starch in them thickens the soup by itself. Lentils provide plenty of protein and carbohydrate; oil or coconut milk adds fat, which holds a lot of energy. Because everything cooks in one pot and the cooking water becomes the soup, nothing is lost.

Advantages

  • No soaking needed, short cooking time
  • Plenty of protein, filling and cheap
  • Warms you and provides fluid at the same time
  • Can be vegan, long-lasting ingredients

Disadvantages

  • Needs more water than couscous or porridge
  • Foams and boils over easily
  • Burns without stirring
  • Wind in people who rarely eat pulses

Deep knowledge

Background

Lentil soups and dal are among the most everyday dishes in many countries. Red lentils are especially suited to trips because they are hulled and therefore cook quickly without soaking – that saves water, time and fuel.

For safety the WHO's basic rules apply: cook thoroughly, eat cooked food promptly and do not leave it unrefrigerated for long. The US food safety agency (USDA FSIS) recommends not keeping cooked food unrefrigerated for more than about two hours. At altitude water boils at a lower temperature, so cooking times get longer there.

Variants

Saving fuel with retained heat
After stirring in the lentils, simmer for only about 5 minutes, then stove off, lid tight on and wrap the pot in a beanie, jacket or pot cosy. Check after about 15–20 minutes: if the lentils are soft and the soup is hot, it is ready. Otherwise bring it briefly to the boil once more.
For children: mild and crunchy
Replace the curry powder with a pinch of paprika and use no hot spices. More coconut milk powder makes the soup mild and creamy. Crumbled crispbread or crackers on top add crunch. Let the child's portion cool in a mug.
Thick stew with vegetables
Add a handful of dried vegetables straight into the water and use less water. On the first day fresh vegetables such as a finely chopped carrot also work. That turns the soup into a thick dal to spoon up.
With lemon and chilli
For adults: at the end, a little lemon juice from a small bottle and a pinch of chilli flakes. Acidity and heat make the simple soup taste fresh.

Common mistakes

  • Using green or brown lentils instead of red and wondering after 15 minutes why they are hard
  • Full flame and lid tight on – the foam boils over and puts out the flame
  • Not stirring – the thick soup burns on the bottom
  • Salting too early although the stock is already salty
  • Tipping coconut milk powder straight into the pot – it goes lumpy
  • Eating half-cooked lentils because you are very hungry
  • Leaving leftovers in the pot overnight and eating them cold in the morning

Limits and risks

  • Cooking times are guidelines – variety, pot and altitude change them
  • Applies to split red lentils, not to unhulled varieties or beans
  • No statement on babies and infants under one year

Material alternatives

Derived from material properties: a substitute must have all relevant properties. Observe the notes on the substitute.

Food-grade water bag
Single-wall stainless steel bottle (Heat only single-wall bottles without paint/plastic; remove the lid before heating.), Double-wall insulated bottle (Never heat directly.), PET bottle (clear, max. 2 litres) (Do not heat or place in a fire.), Food-grade water container (Only use containers that never held chemicals or fuel.), Airtight food-grade storage container (Fill only when clean and completely dry; never use containers that previously held chemicals.), Collapsible water container or bag (Protect from sharp objects.), Fermentation jar or crock (Use only food-grade containers of glass, food-safe glazed stoneware or food-grade plastic – no metal containers for acidic food.), Resealable food bags (Use only bags intended for food; do not use with boiling water unless the manufacturer explicitly allows it.)
Metal pot (stainless steel, aluminium, titanium)
Single-wall stainless steel bottle (Heat only single-wall bottles without paint/plastic; remove the lid before heating.)
Stove fuel (canister, liquid fuel, alcohol)
Dry firewood (Collect only where permitted.), Tinder (Carry in waterproof packaging.), Char cloth (charred cotton) (Store dry in a tin.), Finest-grade steel wool (Store separately from batteries – fire risk.), Fatwood (resin-rich wood) (Collect only dead wood where permitted.), Petroleum jelly cotton balls (Use only pure cotton.), Cooking oil or cooking fat (tallow, lard) (Never put out burning fat with water – cover it with a lid to smother it.), Tree resin (spruce, pine) (Resin is flammable and sticks to the skin when hot – melt it only slowly over low heat.), Birch bark (from dead, fallen wood) (Never peel from living trees.)
Lighter, matches or ferro rod
Ferro rod (Practise before you need it.), Fire striker and hard stone (Carbon steel, not stainless.), Bow drill set (bow, spindle, hearth board, bearing block) (Use only dry wood.), Burning lens / magnifier (Never leave lying in the sun – fire risk.), Fire piston (Maintain the seal.), Pump drill (spindle, flywheel, crossbar, cord) (Fix the flywheel firmly and centrally – a loose disc can fly off.)
Pot insulation (pot cosy, beanie or fleece jacket)
Sleeping pad, Dry leaves, grass or conifer boughs (Collect only where allowed; no protected plants. Check for ticks and insects.), Backpack, Dry spare clothing (Carry it in waterproof packaging – wet clothing barely insulates.), Wool blanket / duvet (Keep away from candles, stoves and heaters.), Insulated cool box (Keeps cold only for a limited time; without ice packs or ice it is not a fridge.), Sleeping bag (Do not store compressed long-term; do not pack away damp.), Newspaper and cardboard (Flammable – keep away from candles, stoves, heaters and embers.), Insulated cooking box (hay box, thermal cooker) (Never put open flame or embers inside – only the hot, closed pot.), Long-stemmed thatch (reed, grass, rushes) (Extremely flammable – no open fire and no sparks nearby.)

Results come exclusively from structured entries. No improvised instructions are generated.

Sources (8)
  1. World Health Organization (WHO) (2006): Five Keys to Safer Food Manual · Cook thoroughly, eat cooked food promptly, keep clean
  2. United States Department of Agriculture – Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS): Leftovers and Food Safety · Do not leave cooked food unrefrigerated for more than about two hours
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning – Prevention guidance · Never use stoves, grills or other fuel-burning devices inside closed spaces or tents – carbon monoxide
  4. European Resuscitation Council – Resuscitation (journal) (2021): European Resuscitation Council Guidelines 2021: First Aid · Cool burns and scalds at once with cool running water; call emergency services for severe burns
  5. European Parliament and Council of the European Union (2011): Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers · List of allergens that must be declared, including cereals containing gluten (oats too), milk, tree nuts, celery
  6. Allergy 77(2): 357–377 (A. Muraro et al., European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology) (2022): EAACI guidelines: Anaphylaxis (2021 update) · Signs of a severe allergic reaction and immediate action (adrenaline, emergency call)
  7. United States Department of Agriculture – Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS): High Altitude Cooking and Food Safety · At altitude water boils at a lower temperature and cooking times get longer
  8. Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics: The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace (Principle 5: Minimize Campfire Impacts) · Pack out rubbish, scatter washing water away from water bodies, use a stove instead of a fire

Rev. 1 · Updated 2026-10-10