Patagonia Provisions Organic Green Lentil Soup

A very simple organic soup, spiced right, that summons the memory of Americanized Indian food to my palate. It’s a little pricey for dehydrated soup but a worthy splurge.

Ingredients

Organic Dehydrated Lentils, Organic Bulgur Wheat, Organic Dehydrated Chopped Onion, Salt, Organic Spices, Organic Dehydrated Green Bell Pepper, Organic Dehydrated Minced Garlic, Organic Dehydrated Red Bell Pepper, Organic Onion Powder, Organic Ground Rice Hulls, Organic Yeast Extract, Organic Sunflower Oil

Nutrition

• Serving Size 1/2 cup (62g) dry
• Servings Per Container 2
• Calories 210 (Calories from Fat 15)
• Total Fat 1.5g (2% Daily Value)
• Saturated Fat 0g (0%)
• Trans Fat 0g
• Cholesterol 0mg (0%)
• Sodium 420mg (18%)
• Total Carbohydrate 40g (13%)
• Dietary Fiber 7g (28%) 
• Sugars 1g
• Protein 13g
  
  

Prologue

I’ve bought enough stuff from Patagonia over the years that they keep mailing me the artsy color catalogs every season. You know, the ones showing people that are way cooler than you and are doing cool things in cool places...

When I first saw their advertisement for Patagonia Provisions it caught my eye. I’m a fan of their apparel products and their top-shelf customer service, so I was curious what kind of food product an (mostly) outdoor apparel company would produce. So when Trailspace offered the chance to review some of them I was happy to accept.

Preparation and packaging

One potential con for some is that this is not a cook-in-bag product. I don’t like to eat out of bags so it wasn’t a problem for me.

The preparation is simply adding the contents to boiling water, boiling for at least one minute, then covering and waiting for nine minutes before consumption. I found it needed just a few more minutes the first time I ate this. The second time I ate this, I strong-simmered for six minutes after the one minute of boiling and it was ready to eat.

I actually prefer this type of packaging for larger food loads as it saves me the trouble of repackaging to conserve space.

Flavor Profile

I really liked the flavor profile of this soup. I thought the spices were in just the right proportions, not overdone, and amazingly, despite having 840mg of sodium, not overly salty. As mentioned above, this really brought to mind Indian flavor profiles like a basic dal, but more like what you might find at an Indian-American fusion type restaurant where the spices tend to be dialed down.  

Satiety

I found the entire package was about right for one person that had been backpacking or exerting all day. I did have a little something else, like bread, cheese, or both when I made this but I felt full and content with the meal. When I split the package with my wife on one occasion, I needed more food. This is soup after all.

(added cheese in this picture)

Texture

This soup has a bit of grainy texture as do all lentil based soups that I’ve eaten. It seemed right. I had no issues with any of the ingredients not fully re-hydrating or being crunchy; perhaps one advantage of heating in a pot instead of a bag?

Summary

This is a great tasting lentil soup mix that’s easy to prepare and spiced just right. I like this soup and will likely add it to my list of acceptable prepackaged dehydrated foods (not a long list). The price is a bit of con at $7 per package, but not so much over the top that I would exclude it on that basis alone. Well done, Patagonia! 

Background

I'm an avid backpacker with over 8,000 miles of trekking in the last decade. I've tried most every brand of dehydrated food that I've come across over the years. I was sent two packages of this soup to review so I've eaten it twice.

Excellent balance of flavors and a delightful texture.

I really enjoy this soup; it's probably my favorite on the trail. It has bulgur wheat along with the lentils, which gives it a great texture. The flavor is quite good, although I add just a touch of garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper to punch it up. At about 100 calories per ounce, it's good for packing and thoroughly satisfying.

There is no issue with reconstitution—everything cooks up perfectly with about five minutes of hard boil or one minute of boiling and 20-30 minutes sitting covered.

Background

Used often (I think I'm addicted—I even make it at home on occasion)