Dig a shallow wide hole (needs to be deep enough that tarp above it won't touch the container placed in it), place a pan (other containers also work, just make sure you did the hole deep enough that the tarp won't touch the container) roughly centered in the bottom of it, take a section of tarp (plastic, cloth, heck a large mylar sheet works even better) and lay it across the hole weighing/staking down the corners, place a small rock just heavy enough to cause the tarp to bow a bit in the middle of the tarp above the pan. Water will collect as the dew evaporates from the soil over night hitting the tarp and following gravity to the lowest point above the pan dripping.
No plants needed, though it does work best in areas of the desert where there is some plant growth and you really need to make sure that there are no crawlies or snakes under the tarp when you go to collect. They like water too.