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Backpacking Food & Dehydrated Trail Recipes

Practical, season-aware dehydrated meals and trail food systems for backpacking and backcountry travel.

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A growing collection of trail-focused recipes, built carefully for performance, nutrition, and packability

Backcountry Ratatouille

Recipe Details

A vibrant rosemary-infused ratatouille with roasted veggies and tangy tomato sauce, perfect for home or dehydrated for a lightweight, flavorful backpacking gourmet dinner.

Prep Time

20min

Cook Time

50min

Wait Time

20min

Characteristic Details
Difficulty: Fairly difficult
Cost:
Fairly Low Cost
Category: Trail Meals
Seasons: All

Ingredients

Ingredients & Servings: Easily customize your meal with our adjustable servings slider. The ingredient list dynamically updates, ensuring perfect portions for your camping adventure, whether solo or with a group.

For 3 Serving(s)

Sauce

1  can Diced tomatoes, 796 ml can
1  tbsp Tomato Paste
1  medium Onion, diced
4  cloves Garlic, sliced
3  tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2  cup Dry White Wine (or vegetable broth, or water)
1  tsp Brown Sugar
1/2  tsp Black Pepper
2  tbsp Fresh Rosemary, minced
3  tbsp Dried Basil
3  leaves Bay Leaves
1/2  tsp Salt

Vegetables

1  medium Eggplant, 0.5 inch diced
2  small Zucchini, 0.5 inch diced
2  medium Bell Peppers (green, yellow, orange, or a mix), 0.5 inch diced
2  cups White Mushrooms, sliced (optional)
3  tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2  tsp Salt

Backcountry Ratatouille Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Dice 1 medium eggplant, 2 small zucchini, 2 medium bell peppers (green, orange, or yellow), and 2 cups white mushrooms (optional) into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss each vegetable separately with 1 tbsp olive oil (3 tbsp total) and 1/2 tsp salt. Spread evenly on baking sheets.

Showing the ratatouille vegetables diced up and ready for roasting

Roast vegetables for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway, until tender and slightly browned. Set aside to cool.

In a stainless steel saucepan, heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 diced medium onion and cook for 5-7 minutes until soft and golden. Add 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds.

A pot showing diced onions sweating in olive oil to soften up

Deglaze with 1/2 cup dry white wine (or water/vegetable broth). Add 1 can (796 ml) diced tomatoes, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1/2 tsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, 3 tbsp dried basil, 3 bay leaves, and 1/2 tsp salt.

Getting ready to deglaze the pot and onions with dry white wine

Simmer for 30 minutes until thickened.

Your Ratatouille sauce is simmering to absorb all the flavours

For Home Dining: Add roasted vegetables to the sauce, heat through for 5 minutes, and serve in bowls topped with fresh basil.

For Dehydration: Organize your sauce and vegetables to be placed into your dehydrator.

Gathering all the ingredients to prepare for dehydration while keeping everything separate.

Spread roasted eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and mushrooms (if using) on separate Cosori dehydrator trays lined with silicone mesh sheets. Spread sauce evenly on two silicone fruit leather trays with edges.

A photo showing the dehydration trays, each with their ingredients

Dehydrate at 135°F (57°C) up to 15 hours, checking periodically. Remove vegetables or sauce when dry and brittle. Cool completely (30 minutes).

A view of the inside of the dehydrator with all your Ratatouille ingredients drying together

Portion dehydrated vegetables and sauce into separate Ziploc freezer bags with 5-gram desiccant (moisture absorbers) packets for backpacking. For long-term storage, use mason jars in a cool, dark, dry place.

Trail Rehydration: Combine 1 portion of dehydrated vegetables and sauce with 1.5 cups of hot water in a pot. Slow Simmer for 10-15 minutes until rehydrated. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes

  • Mushrooms are optional—omit for lighter packs or if you prefer a classic ratatouille. Use green, orange, or yellow bell peppers for colour variety.
  • Substitute white wine with water or vegetable broth for an alcohol-free version; adjust salt after simmering to taste.
  • Use stainless steel or porcelain pots for tomato-based sauces to avoid metallic flavours from aluminum.
  • Storage Tips: For dehydrated portions, condition in a transparent airtight container for 7 days, shaking daily for moisture. If condensation appears, return to dehydrator for 1-2 hours; discard if mold forms. Store in vacuum-sealed bags or mason jars with desiccant packets for up to 1 year.
  • Dehydrator Recommendation: I use and recommend the Cosori food dehydrator for precise drying of trail-ready meals like this ratatouille.

Nutrition facts

Serving size 1 vegetarian

Per Serving

Kcal: 220 kcal
Fibers (g): 6g
Sodium (mg): 600mg
Carbs: 20g
Sugar (g): 8g
Fat: 15g
Saturated fat (g): 2g
Proteins: 4g

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