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Basil Pesto Couscous Backpacking Dinner

This basil pesto couscous makes such an easy homemade backpacking meal. The best part? No dehydrator is required!
5 from 1 vote
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Servings: 1 large dinner
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup pearl/Israeli couscous
  • 1 packet of Simply Organic basil pesto sauce mix
  • 3 TBSP olive oil (packed in a sealed container)
  • 2 TBSP chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan (the unrefrigerated kind)
  • 1 ready-to-eat flavored salmon packet (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cups 12 oz water, for cooking at camp

Instructions
 

At Home Prep:

  • Put the shredded parmesan into a small bag.
  • Put the sun-dried tomatoes into another small bag.
  • Measure the olive oil and seal it in a small sturdy container.
  • In a quart-sized bag, add the couscous. In the video, I used a reusable bag for this step.
  • Add the unopened pesto packet, sealed olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, and cheese to the same bag with the couscous so everything is packaged together.
  • Pack the salmon packet in the bag with the rest of the ingredients, if using.

At Camp Prep:

  • Bring 12 oz of water to a boil in your backpacking pot*. Make sure the water is boiling.
  • Turn off the burner and remove the pot with boiling water from the stove and place it on a level surface.
  • Add in the pearl couscous, olive oil, and basil pesto packet. Mix and then cover.
  • Let the couscous sit for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, give it a quick stir, and then let it sit for another 8 minutes until tender.**
  • Next, mix in the sun-dried tomatoes, cheese, and salmon, if using. Enjoy!

Notes

*Before your trip, check to make sure your camp cooking pot is big enough to hold the couscous and the rest of the liquid!
**If the couscous still isn’t cooked, you can always carefully bring it back to a boil and cook for another minute or two until tender.
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