Can I Dehydrate Soups Or Stews?

“I’m considering dehydrating my homemade chicken stew to make light backpacking meals for a hiking trip next month. I’ve never dehydrated anything like this before, and I’m unsure how to get started. Any tips on how to dehydrate soups or stews properly, and how to rehydrate them later? Also, my stew has a bit of cream in it. Should I be concerned about that? Would love your take on this!”
Thanks,
Lisa, Vancouver, Canada.

Can I Dehydrate Soups or Stews?

So, the short answer, Lisa, is: *Yes!* You can absolutely dehydrate soups and stews. It’s actually one of the best ways to turn your comforting, home-cooked meals into lightweight, shelf-stable foods that you can enjoy on the go, whether you’re hitting the trail or just stocking up for emergencies. But… there are some things you’ll want to keep in mind to make sure everything goes smoothly. Since you’re asking about a chicken stew, let’s touch on everything you’ll need to know—from prep to the juicy details on things like cream and fats (spoiler: they can be tricky!).

Why Dehydrating Soups and Stews Is Awesome

First, let’s talk about why soups and stews work so well for dehydration. For one, these kinds of meals are packed with flavor and nutrition. When dehydrated properly, they retain almost all of their nutrients, making it a great way to preserve your cooking, but in a much more lightweight format. Perfect for camping trips like yours, Lisa!

Plus, dehydrating soups and stews is incredibly flexible. You can make big batches and stash them in jars or vacuum-sealed bags for whenever you need. It’s also a great way to deal with leftovers or an abundant harvest—my husband and I once preserved a whole summer’s worth of garden vegetables in hearty minestrone packages!

And, dehydrated meals are super-convenient to rehydrate. Just add boiling water, wait a few minutes, and boom—you’ve got yourself a hot, flavorful meal. No fancy gadgets required.

How to Dehydrate Soups and Stews: Step-by-Step

Alright, let’s begin with the actual process. Dehydrating soups and stews isn’t rocket science, but there are some specific steps that will give you the best results.

Step 1: Choose the Right Soup or Stew

Most soups and stews can be dehydrated, but some work better than others. You’ll want to focus on broth-based, low-fat soups/stews for the best preservation. Cream-based or high-fat versions can still be dehydrated (I’ll explain a workaround for that), but they require more careful handling.

• Flat soups with fewer chunks: Soups like vegetable broth or thin chili work wonders since they spread out nicely on the dehydrator trays. They’ll dry faster and more evenly.
• Chunkier stews: Beef, chicken, or other protein heavy stews? They can be dried too! Just remember that the larger the pieces, the longer it will take. Consider cutting vegetables or meats into smaller, uniform pieces for better drying.

Lisa, since you mentioned a chicken stew, chunkier items will dry fine, but keeping the size consistent makes all the difference. I personally like to dice everything up small to make rehydrating quicker too (nobody likes that half-soggy chunk of carrot!).

Step 2: Cook Everything Thoroughly

Always cook your soups and stews completely before you start dehydrating. This is because raw ingredients like meat need to be fully cooked to prevent any bacteria or nastiness from thriving. Plus, cooked veggies rehydrate more easily.

Once you’ve got your stew cooked and ready, let it cool down a bit. You don’t want to throw piping hot stew into the dehydrator—that can mess with the drying times.

Step 3: Reduce the Liquids

For easy-drying, it’s best to reduce the liquid content in your soup or stew before dehydrating. I will gently simmer mine on the stove so it’s thickened, almost like a sauce. The thicker the consistency, the quicker and easier it is to dehydrate.

If your soup is very brothy, you can try just scooping out the bigger bits (veggies, meats) to dry separately. You can always add broth back in later during the rehydrating step. For Lisa’s chicken stew, I’d say aim for something not too soupy, more like a chunky, rustic consistency.

Step 4: Spread Evenly on Dehydrator Trays

Once your soup or stew has cooled and thickened sufficiently, it’s time to spread it on your dehydrator trays. Here’s the trick: use solid, lined trays (a thin silicone sheet or parchment paper works). You don’t want to use the normal slotted trays because, well… your soup will just drip right down the layers like a waterfall! Been there, cleaned that. ?

The goal is to spread the soup thinly but evenly across the tray. Around a 1/4 inch thick is what I aim for; too thick, and it won’t dry properly, but if it’s too thin, it’ll crack and crumble unevenly once dried.

Step 5: Dehydrate at the Right Temperature

Set your dehydrator to the right temperature. For soups and stews, you’re aiming for around 130–140°F (55–60°C). A lower temperature may result in longer drying time and could make it vulnerable to spoilage, while a higher one could cook the stew rather than dry it out.

• How long to dehydrate? Plan for around 8–12 hours depending on the thickness and content of the soup or stew. If you’ve got larger chunkier cuts, veer on the side of longer drying times. Vegetables dry faster, while meat can take a while, so check on it periodically, Lisa. You don’t want things to remain soggy, but overly crispy isn’t ideal either.

Step 6: Test for Complete Dryness

A good way to check if the soup is totally dried is to give it a firm poke. It should crack or break, not bend. If it’s still bendy or soft in any areas, pop it back into the dehydrator for another hour. Trust me, it’s all about patience at this stage.

Dealing With Fats and Dairy

Now, Lisa, about the cream in your chicken stew. Here’s where things get a bit tricky. Fats (like oils or cream) don’t dehydrate well. They can go rancid over time, which is obviously not what we want. But don’t worry, there’s a trick to getting around this!

Workaround for Dehydrating Creamy Soups

What I usually do with creams or dairy-heavy soups is leave the cream out before dehydrating. Dry all the non-dairy ingredients first. When you’re rehydrating the soup later, you can always add the cream back in! Just pack a small container or powdered version of it separately, and mix in when cooking.

Another fantastic option for Lisa’s trip would be to use powdered milk or powdered creamers. These add that creamy texture back when you’re rehydrating, without the fat-spoilage risk during storage. It’s a great little hack whenever you’re preserving cream-based meals.

Rehydrating Your Soups and Stews

So, once you’re out hiking, rehydrating your stew is *super* easy. You’ll just need a source of boiling water (a camping stove works perfectly), your dehydrated chunks, and a few minutes of patience.

Step 1: Add Boiling Water

Measure out the amount of dehydrated stew you want to rehydrate. Usually, it’s about a 1:2 ratio (one part dried stew to two parts hot water). But, I tend to eyeball it—start small, and add more water if necessary. You can always add more, but you can’t take it away!

Step 2: Let It Sit and Rehydrate

Seal the container with your dried stew and hot water. I usually let mine sit for about 10–15 minutes, but for chunkier stews, it might need a bit longer. Give it the occasional stir to make sure everything rehydrates evenly.

If you’re adding back any fats like cream, this is when you’d mix that in—stirring as you go.

Troubleshooting Common Dehydration Problems

Sometimes dehydration doesn’t go exactly as planned, so here are a few common snags you might run into and what to do about them.

Problem 1: Soup Is Still Soggy After Hours of Dehydrating

If your stew isn’t drying out fully, it could be because it was spread too thick on the tray, or your dehydrator wasn’t running at the right temperature. Try spreading everything thinner and giving it more time.

Problem 2: Soup Tastes a Little “Off”

Fat content might be the culprit here. Always opt for lower-fat soups and remove oily ingredients, like fatty meats or cream, before dehydration. If the taste seems rancid, the fats probably spoiled during storage.

Problem 3: Uneven Rehydration

This usually happens with large chunks of ingredients. If some chunks rehydrate fine while others stay hard, it means the soup wasn’t dehydrated evenly. Make sure pieces are uniform in size when you break down your stew, and spread it evenly during drying.

Storing Your Dehydrated Soup or Stew

Once the soup or stew is completely dry, store it in airtight containers or vacuum-seal bags. Reducing exposure to air will help it last much longer, especially if you’re keeping it around for more than a month or two. I keep some of my dehydrated soups in canning jars, but baggies work just as great!

If you want to store it long-term, freeze it! Dehydrated soups can be put in the freezer to extend their shelf life up to 6 months, sometimes longer. Just be cautious with the packaging—moisture can sneak in if it’s not completely sealed.

Final Thoughts…

Thanks so much for sending in this question, Lisa! Dehydrating soups and stews is a wonderful way to keep your homemade meals light and adventure-ready, whether you’re hitting the backcountry or just saving some pantry space. Your chicken stew should dry out beautifully with just a few adjustments—remember to keep an eye on that cream! And don’t forget—good things come to those who wait (even if it takes a few extra hours in the dehydrator). Safe travels and happy hiking!