Camping food: 5 recipes for the caravan kitchen

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Vanlife and vacations in campers have been popular again for years. Instead of jet lag and keeping your lounger free with a towel, vacation 2.0 requires relaxation and privacy. And nowhere are you more private and relaxed than on the road.

Small disadvantage: Not all vans, caravans or campers have an integrated hotplate. And even if it does, it cooks so badly while driving. When you take a break you feel like swinging the wooden spoon for a long time. Especially not when you actually wanted to leave for the next hike.

That's why today we'll show you how you can make your own camping food. Hot water is often enough to prepare quick instant dishes; others need to be boiled briefly. Either way: With snacks-to-go you always have a warm meal with you to fortify yourself on the go.

You need these accessories for camping food

Foreign supermarkets always have a special appeal. Nevertheless, you want to waste as little vacation time as possible on everyday things like shopping. So that you have some time in advance, it's worth going shopping at home and getting oneFood supply in the camper or vanto create.

Here you should rely on durable products that can be used for as many dishes as possible on the go. Some dishes like(or sin carne) can be cooked almost entirely from canned goods (corn, peas, pureed tomatoes).

Also important: spices!In addition to salt, pepper and sugar, you can put together your own spice mixtures so that you use less cooking space in the motorhome. Instead of fresh herbs, it's better to use dried versions for camping food. There's even garlic and onion powder.

The same applies to vegetables and fruit when traveling. Dried fruits last longer and refine your taste just as muchor cereal. You can conjure up delicious pasta sauces with dried tomatoes or pickled peppers. Do you have a refrigerator on board, is there tomato paste,or harissa from the tube is worth its weight in gold for camping food.

Practical food for camping supplies:

  • vegetable oil
  • honey or maple syrup
  • Long-life (vegetable) milk
  • Packaged
  • Marmalade
  • applesauce
  • Noodles
  • Chickpeas
  • Lenses
  • Flour
  • in powder form
  • and mustard
  • Tuna (canned)
  • Bockwürstchen
  • Nuts

In order to cook camping food, you need the right cookware. And because space in the van or motorhome kitchen is limited, you should concentrate on the essentials.

Basic equipment for the camping kitchen:

  • Pot with lid
  • Pfanne
  • Dishes and cutlery
  • Bowl
  • Pfannenwender
  • Cutting board and sharp knife
  • pasta strainer
  • Can opener and corkscrew
  • Scissors
  • Lunch box or preserving jars with lids
  • Greeting paper or beeswax cloths
  • Zip bag
  • Thermos flask
  • Camping stove and camping grill
  • Kettle
  • Kitchen scales and measuring cups
  • Clothespins (for closing open packages)
  • Garbage bags

>You can find a large selection of camping equipment here at Otto.*

That's it! Camping food is impossible without these utensils - but with them everything is possible!

Tipp:The most important thing for instant food on trips is hot water. You can heat this either in the kettle or in a pot on the stove or camping stove. On long tours, keep the water hot in a thermos.

Delicious camping food recipes

With her cookbook “Van Life Kitchen – The Adventure Outdoor Kitchen”, Jessica Lerchenmüller has hit the zeitgeist exactly. In over 60 brilliantly simple and healthy recipes, the foodie and travel fan shows us the love for vegetarian camping food.

And shows us that we have no excuse for unhealthy food, even when we are on the go and traveling. In addition to snacks-to-go that can be prepared in advance as travel provisions, the book also contains lots of ideas for cooking in the outdoor and motorhome kitchen.

>You can order the cookbook online from Amazon here.*

Credit:EMF/Jessica Lerchenmüller

Here we focus on healthy and delicious turbo recipes that are also suitable for hikes or lazy days when you don't feel like cooking. Well, if that doesn't whet your appetite and your desire to travel!

1. Camping food: Salad in a jar to take away

Something that always works on the go and tastes fresh is a delicious layered salad. If you no longer come to the supermarket to buy fresh salad, you can also layer instant couscous with vegetables in a jar. Is ideal as a!

You need these ingredients:

  • red and yellow peppers
  • Walnuts
  • More
  • Apple
  • Tomato
  • Onion
  • Cucumber

For the dressing

  • 6 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 EL Balsamic-Dry
  • 1–2 TL Honig
  • 1 teaspoon grainy Dijon mustard

Pour the dressing into the glass before layering the other ingredients on top.

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2. Camping food: recipe for quick rice pudding

is a very grateful camping food because the dish turns out to beoreasy to stir. Coconut milk makes the rice pudding taste more exotic and the coconut milk in the can lasts forever, even in the caravan kitchen.

You need these ingredients:
For 2 people

  • 150 g Reis
  • 400 ml coconut milk (canned)
  • Salt

For the topping

  • 3 tbsp hazelnut kernels
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Tipp:As instant food, replace the rice with 120 g rice flakes(here on Amazon)* – they cook quicker. Reduce the coconut milk to 200 ml. A little orange marmalade goes well with rice pudding as a fruity note.

Credit:EMF/Jessica Lerchenmüller

It's that easy:
Place rice in a fine-mesh sieve (or pasta sieve lined with paper towels) and rinse with water until it runs clear.

Put coconut milk, approx. 200 ml water and 1 pinch of salt in a pot and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat. If necessary, add another 200 ml of water. Simmer the rice for 20-30 minutes, stirring constantly, until the liquid has been completely absorbed into the rice.

Meanwhile, roughly chop the hazelnuts. Divide the rice pudding into two bowls or glasses and garnish with nuts, maple syrup and cinnamon.

3. Camping Food: Instant Noodle Soup Recipe

Bye, ready-made soup! With this homemade instant noodle soup you can quickly get something warm in your stomach while camping or hiking. All you need to add is some hot water.

You need these ingredients:
For 2 servings

  • 1 small zucchini
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 tsp gluten-free vegetable broth (powder)
  • 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp. Chili powder
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 TL Honig
  • 100 g Glasnudeln
  • fresh coriander greens (if desired)
Credit:EMF/Jessica Lerchenmüller

This is how the preparation works:
Wash the zucchini, peel the carrots, clean both and use a spiral cutter or julienne cutter(here on Amazon)* cut into thin slices. Clean and wash the spring onions and cut them into fine rings.

Put the vegetable broth powder in a preserving jar with coriander, chili flakes, soy sauce and honey. Layer the uncooked glass noodles in the glass together with the vegetables. Done and ready to go!

Before consumption, pour approx. 300 ml of hot water over the soup, depending on the size of the preserving jar, and let the noodles steep for 4-5 minutes. Then shake well (be careful, the jar is hot!) so that the spices mix.

If desired, wash the coriander greens, shake dry and garnish the soup with the leaves.

Reading tips:

4. Camping Food: One-Pot Risotto Recipe

It also cooks quickly and, in an emergency, tastes good cold, so you can have the finished camping food in your kitchenyou can take it hiking. Here comes the recipe for them, for which you only need one pot. The instant food version for quick risotto-to-go follows afterwards.

You need these ingredients:
For 2 servings

  • 1 onion
  • 200 g risotto rice
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 125 ml white wine
  • 2 tsp gluten-free vegetable broth (powder)
  • 20 g dried porcini mushrooms
  • 10 g dried tomatoes
  • 100 g Mozzarella
  • 50 g (vegetarian) Parmesan
Credit:EMF/Jessica Lerchenmüller

This is how the preparation works:
Peel and finely chop the onion. In a fine-mesh sieve (or a pasta sieve lined with paper towels), rinse the rice with water until it runs clear.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan, add diced onions and sauté. Add the risotto rice and sauté until translucent. Then deglaze with white wine and stir. After about 2 minutes, add 100 ml of water and the stock powder.

Gradually add about 300 ml more liquid and simmer over low heat until the risotto has the desired consistency. After 10 minutes, stir in the dried mushrooms and tomatoes.

In the meantime, cut the mozzarella into thin slices and finely grate the Parmesan. Shortly before the end of the cooking time, stir the mozzarella and about three quarters of the grated Parmesan into the risotto. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top before serving.

Instructions for instant risotto:

  • 3 tbsp dried onions
  • 200 g risotto rice
  • 2 tsp vegetable broth (powder)
  • 20 g dried porcini mushrooms
  • 10 dried tomatoes
  • 30 g pine nuts

Mix all ingredients together in a sealable bag. To prepare, bring everything to the boil with about 300 ml of water in a saucepan on the camping stove. Gradually add approx. 100 ml more liquid.

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5. Camping food: recipe for quick corn soup

People need something warm – especially when they are out and about. And with this recipe for exotic curry corn soup, hungry hikers can quickly get help. In addition to the stovetop version, we'll show you how you can prepare the soup as quick instant food.

You need these ingredients:
For 2 servings

  • 1 small red onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 1 TL Curry powder
  • 1 tbsp. Chili powder
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • Salt
  • 1 lemon
  • 400 ml coconut milk (canned)
  • 230 g corn (canned)
  • 1/2 TL Chiliflocken
Credit:EMF/Jessica Lerchenmüller

This is how the preparation works:
Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic. Heat coconut oil in a pot. Add onions, garlic, spices and maple syrup with 1/2 teaspoon salt and sauté.

Squeeze lemon. After 2-3 minutes, deglaze the onion-garlic mix with the lemon juice. Stir in 100 ml water and simmer the soup over low heat for another 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and corn, bring to the boil and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Pour the soup into two bowls and serve warm, sprinkled with chili flakes. Two slices of bread with butter go well with this.

For the instant corn soupreplace the garlic with 2 teaspoons garlic powder, the onion with 2 tablespoons dried onions (or 2 teaspoons onion powder) and the maple syrup with 1 teaspoon coconut blossom sugar. Instead of lemon juice, you can use 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid from the packet.

Mix all ingredients in a bag and pack. Then bring to the boil on a camping stove with coconut milk and corn as described.