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Solar Soup with Autumn Flavors
This soup has all the colors and flavors of fall. Serve it with some nice bread and a side of kale or other dark leafy greens for a wholesome vegetarian meal.
Autumn Sun Oven Red Lentil Soup
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Clean Fridge, Full Sun Oven
As I mentioned in a previous post, stuffed squash is one of my favorite solar cooked fall lunches.
The possible combinations for fillings are endless. Don’t have squash? Bell peppers are good for stuffing too. And they cook faster. Today I used both – and accomplished two good things. First, we enjoyed a satisfying, tasty lunch, and second, I saved some tomatoes, peppers, and cheese from turning into science projects in my fridge.
Today’s stuffing consisted of couscous, canned chickpeas, tomatoes, and goat cheese. Just mix everything together, add a little hot water, stuff the veggies, cover and pop it in the Sun Oven. The only tricky part is figuring out how much water to add. It depends a lot on what’s in the filling. But don’t let that stop you. I underestimated the amount today and was able to remedy the situation by adding a little more, very hot, water about 45 minutes into the cooking time. The peppers were ready with another 5 minutes of cooking. The squash took a little longer, but not much.
Solar Baked Potato and Carrot Mash
As the days get shorter and the weather less predictable I tend to do more hybrid cooking. I’ll start a dish out in the Sun Oven and finish it stove top or in the conventional oven. This recipe lends itself perfectly to dual heat sources. The carrots and potatoes can be solar roasted early in the day, then if the clouds roll in, or you want to eat after sunset, the assembled dish can be baked in your indoor oven at dinnertime.
Sun Oven Potato and Carrot Bake
Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter, divided
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 pound carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 to 1 cup milk, warmed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
Set Sun Oven out to preheat.
Put the carrots in a shallow pot, add 1/3 cup water, and dot with 2 tablespoons of the butter. Cover and transfer to the Sun Oven. Arrange the potatoes around the sides of the pot and on the lid if they don’t all fit. Cook until carrots and potatoes are tender, about 2 hours. Leave the Sun Oven out. Press the carrots and any cooking juices through a ricer into a large bowl. Cut the potatoes in half, scoop out the flesh, and press through the rice into the bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, cheese, and gradually add the milk until reaching the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt. Butter an oval roasting pan or baking dish. Spread the potato mixture out in the pan (Can be made one day ahead. Cover and chill). Cover and bake in the Sun Oven until heated through and browned, about 45 minutes. (For conventional ovens, preheat to 350˚F and bake uncovered).
Solar Soup Time
I’m not a big fan of parsnips but every now and then I just have to give them another chance. I can’t think of any other food I do this with. So far this soup is the best parsnip recipe I’ve found.
Sun Oven Parsnip Soup
(Adapted for the Sun Oven from Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 small onions, chopped
1 1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled and chopped
Guilt-Free Cream of Asparagus Solar Soup
Canned evaporated fat-free milk is a great alternative to cream, it’s lower in calories and has a longer shelf life. I always keep some in my pantry.
Creamy Sun Oven Asparagus Soup
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Sun Oven Chickpea Delight
Serve this solar baked vegetarian entree with a salad and some grilled vegetables and nobody will miss the meat.
Vegan Chickpea Bake with Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
1 pound dried chickpeas previously cooked with 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid reserved
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground dried sage
Tahini sauce for serving*
Preparation
Set Sun Oven out to preheat. Coat a shallow metal or glass baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.
Place the chickpeas in a food processor with 1 tablespoon of cooking liquid and process adding additional liquid as needed. Transfer the ground chickpeas to a large bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients mixing well. Pat the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and a tea towel. Bake in the preheated Sun Oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Drizzle each serving with tahini sauce.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
*Tahini sauce is easy to make and can be used in sandwiches or as a dip. The recipe I use can be found here.
Vegan Solar Split Pea Soup
Caramelized onions and cumin seed give an exotic twist to an old classic.
Sun Oven Split Pea Soup with Caramelized Onions
(Adapted for the Sun Oven from Gourmet magazine)
Ingredients
2 cups dried split peas, picked over and rinsed
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 bay leaves
6 cups water
4 cups thinly sliced onion
1 teaspoon cumin seed
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preparation
Set Sun Oven out to preheat. If necessary, remove the leveling tray and set a rack on the floor of the cooking chamber to accommodate your large pot. Click here for more info on fitting large pots in your Sun Oven.
Combine the peas, basil, bay leaves, and water in a large pot. Pour the oil into a shallow pot or cake pan that fits on top of the soup pot. Add the onions and cumin seed, stirring to coat. Cover and place in the Sun Oven. Cook until the onions are golden and the peas are falling apart, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Discard the bay leaves. Using an immersion blender puree the soup in the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the onions and serve.
Makes 8 servings.
Solar Riso con Lenticchie
This simple, hearty, vegetarian dish is a meal on its own.
Sun Oven Rice and Lentils
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for serving
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup strained tomatoes
5 cups water
1 cup dried green lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 cup brown rice
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Preparation
Set Sun Oven out to preheat.
Combine the oil and onion in a large pot. Place the pot in the Sun Oven and cook until the onion begins to soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, then the tomatoes. Add the water and the lentils, cover and cook until the lentils are slightly tender, 30 to 4o minutes. Stir in the rice and salt, replace the lid and continue cooking until the rice is done, about 45 minutes. Remove the pot from the Sun Oven and stir in the parsley. Drizzle additional olive oil over each serving.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Solar Roasted Asparagus
I finally got a chance to use my new baking dishes with the silicone lids and I’m very pleased. So pleased that I might have to make a non-birthday trip to Ikea to get the larger ones. I didn’t make anything fancy.
I drizzled a bit of olive oil on some asparagus, snapped the lid on, and popped it in the Sun Oven. The lid fits so snuggly that I was afraid it would trap too much moisture and the spears would be soggy, but after an hour or so in the Sun Oven on a partially cloudy day they came out just fine.
The black lid does make it pretty much impossible to see what’s going on, however, I knew they were ready by the tell-tale condensation build up on the cooking chambers glass door.
Solar Cabbage Soup
Savoy cabbage is one of my favorite vegetables. It is sweeter and more tender than other varieties of cabbage. It’s great in soups, risottos, and can even be consumed raw. It’s worth seeking out if your regular store doesn’t carry it.
Sun Oven Savoy Cabbage Soup
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium savoy cabbage, cored and shredded
1 small white potato, peeled and cubed
1 quart broth (chicken or vegetable)
