Camping Meals using Tomato Concentrate
Tomato concentrate is useful for camping because it gives quick meals a cooked tomato base without needing tins, long simmering, or many extra ingredients.
These three camping meals use Red Gold Concentrate, the tomato concentrate that already has everything in, as a sauce starter for pasta, eggs, and a one-pot rice dish that can work on a gas stove, skottel, or small campfire setup.
Why Tomato Concentrate Works for Camping
Camping meals need to be simple, filling, and easy to cook with limited equipment. A good tomato concentrate helps because it takes less space than several tins of tomato, can be used in small amounts, and adds depth to meals that would otherwise need a longer cooking time.
For campers, the main benefit is control. You can use one spoon for a mild background flavour, two spoons for a stronger tomato base, or loosen it with water, stock, or pasta water to make a quick sauce.
Tomato concentrate also works across different meal types. It can become a pasta sauce, a breakfast base for eggs, a spread for flatbread, or the flavour base for rice, mince, chicken, beans, or vegetables.
The meals below are written for practical campsite cooking. They use basic ingredients that pack well, cook quickly, and do not require a full kitchen.
1. One-Pot Tomato Pasta
This is a simple camping pasta recipe for nights when you want a warm meal without washing several pots. It works well with Red Gold Concentrate or any rich tomato concentrate that already has a cooked flavour.
Ingredients
- 250 g pasta
- 2 to 3 tablespoons tomato concentrate
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 cup sliced sausage, bacon, tuna, chicken, or beans
- 2 to 3 cups water or stock
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: grated cheese, chilli, dried herbs, or a spoon of cream cheese
Method
Heat the oil in a pot and fry the onion until it softens. Add the sausage, bacon, chicken, tuna, or beans and stir for a minute so the flavour starts to build.
Add the tomato concentrate and stir it into the oil and onion. This helps the tomato base coat the ingredients before you add the water.
Add the pasta and enough water or stock to just cover it. Stir well, bring it to a steady simmer, and cook until the pasta is soft.
Keep stirring now and then so the pasta does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Add a little more water if the pot becomes too dry before the pasta is cooked.
When the pasta is ready, let it stand for two minutes so the sauce thickens. Stir in cheese, cream cheese, or a little extra tomato concentrate if you want a richer finish.
Why This Works at Camp
This one-pot tomato pasta is useful because it turns a small amount of tomato concentrate into a full meal. You do not need to drain the pasta, and the starch in the cooking water helps thicken the sauce.
It also works with many campsite leftovers. Cooked chicken, braai sausage, tinned tuna, beans, mushrooms, or mixed vegetables can all be added without changing the basic method.
2. Tomato Breakfast Eggs
Tomato breakfast eggs are a campsite version of eggs cooked in a tomato base. This is a good breakfast or brunch option when you want something more filling than toast, but you do not want a complicated meal.
Ingredients
- 2 to 4 eggs
- 2 tablespoons tomato concentrate
- 1 tablespoon oil or butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- ½ cup chopped peppers, mushrooms, spinach, or leftover vegetables
- ¼ cup water
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: chilli, feta, grated cheese, wors pieces, or bacon
Method
Heat the oil or butter in a pan. Add the onion and cook it until soft, then add the peppers, mushrooms, spinach, or leftover vegetables.
Stir in the tomato concentrate and add a small splash of water. The aim is to make a thick tomato base, not a thin soup.
Let the mixture simmer for two to three minutes. Taste it and add salt, pepper, chilli, or herbs if needed.
Make small spaces in the tomato mixture and break the eggs into the pan. Cover the pan with a lid, plate, or foil and cook gently until the eggs are done to your preference.
Serve with toast, roosterkoek, wraps, or leftover braai bread. Add cheese or feta at the end if you want a richer breakfast.
Why This Works at Camp
This is a good camping breakfast with tomato concentrate because it uses one pan and does not need many fresh ingredients. It also gives you a hot, savoury meal without needing meat.
The recipe is flexible because the tomato base can carry different leftovers. A few slices of wors, a spoon of beans, or leftover grilled vegetables can turn it into a bigger meal.
3. Tomato Rice and Chicken Pot
This tomato rice and chicken pot is a practical supper for campers who want a filling meal from one pot. It is similar to a simple campsite stew, but the rice cooks inside the tomato base and absorbs the flavour.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice
- 2 to 3 tablespoons tomato concentrate
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 to 2 cups cooked chicken, chicken pieces, mince, boerewors slices, or beans
- 2 cups water or stock
- 1 cup mixed vegetables
- Salt and pepper
- Optional: paprika, chilli, curry powder, dried herbs, or grated cheese
Method
Heat the oil in a pot and fry the onion until soft. Add the chicken, mince, boerewors slices, or beans and stir until the ingredients are coated in the oil and onion.
Add the tomato concentrate and stir it through the pot. Let it cook for a minute so the tomato base warms and mixes with the fat and seasoning.
Add the rice, water or stock, and mixed vegetables. Stir well, then bring the pot to a gentle simmer.
Cover the pot and cook slowly until the rice is soft and the liquid has been absorbed. Stir once or twice during cooking, but not too often, because rice cooks better when it is left mostly covered.
Let the pot stand for five minutes before serving. Add cheese, chilli, or herbs at the end if you want more flavour.
Why This Works at Camp
Rice is a useful camping ingredient because it is dry, cheap to pack, and filling. Tomato concentrate helps turn rice into a proper meal instead of a plain side dish.
This meal also suits mixed groups because you can keep it mild or add chilli at the end. You can make it with chicken, sausage, mince, beans, or only vegetables.
Practical Packing Tips
Pack tomato concentrate in a small jar or sealed container and keep it cool after opening. Use a clean spoon each time so the concentrate stays fresh for longer.
For a weekend camp, plan meals that use the same base ingredients in different ways. Onion, pasta, rice, eggs, wraps, cheese, and one jar of tomato concentrate can cover several meals without making the food feel repetitive.
A small jar of Red Gold Concentrate also saves packing space. Instead of carrying several tins of tomato and sauce bottles, you can carry one jar and add water, stock, cream, or pasta water when you need to make a sauce.
Keep your cooking tools simple. A medium pot, a frying pan, a sharp knife, a spoon, and a small chopping board are enough for all three meals.
Conclusion
Red Gold Tomato Concentrate is a practical base for easy camping meals because one small jar can help make several different dishes. It works especially well in one-pot pasta, breakfast eggs, and rice meals because each recipe needs a strong tomato flavour without long cooking.
For campers, the best approach is to treat Red Gold as a foundation rather than a finished meal. Add water, stock, eggs, pasta, rice, meat, beans, or vegetables, and it becomes a quick way to build simple campsite food with fewer ingredients.