02/19/2025Stews - Tofu, legumes and seitan - Main courses

Solar-Baked White Bean Stew

Name: Solar-Baked White Bean Stew
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 5 min
Yield: 2 serv.
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients: 1 onion; 260 g cooked white beans; 1 tbsp oregano; 400 mL crushed tomatoes; 125 mL soy cream; salt; pepper; 1 tbsp olive oil; 50 g vegan grated cheese; 4 slice country bread

Gluten-free Blender-free Spring / Summer Low budget Autumn / Winter

For: 2 serv.Difficulty: EasyPreparation: 5 minCooking: 3h00

I was gifted a solar oven—how cool is that?! When I was a kid, I visited an off-grid house with my class, and it left a lifelong impression on me, haha. That couple had a solar oven, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. It was a much bigger and bulkier machine back then, though. I actually had no idea they had become so much more accessible today! When I mentioned it in my stories, I realized that several of you already have one!

The model Solar Brother gifted me is foldable, so it’s super easy to take camping and stores neatly in a cupboard. It’s the Sungood 360 2-in-1, priced at €300. That’s quite an investment, but since the design is relatively simple, I imagine solar ovens like this could become more affordable if demand increases.

For my first test, I obviously picked a sunny day—essential!—but in the middle of winter… in the snow… at -15°C. So, not exactly ideal. I can’t wait to try again in summer to see if it’s faster and more convenient to use.

The pros: It’s very eco-friendly (as long as you actually use it—no point in buying something that just sits in a cupboard!). Even though Quebec’s electricity is green, hydroelectric production and distribution aren’t completely impact-free, so having an alternative cooking method is pretty awesome. Plus, you can take it anywhere—just set it up in a field and chill. It’s lightweight and built to last basically forever.

The cons: You can’t use it to cook dinner, of course! That’s the biggest downside for me since my only real hot meal is in the evening. 😅 It’s recommended to use it between 9 AM and 3 PM. And, of course, you need a cloudless sunny day. That’s not an issue for me since we get plenty of sunshine, but it’s something to keep in mind. Also, every 30 minutes or so, you need to adjust the mirrors to keep them aligned with the sun, so you have to stay nearby for several hours of cooking.

I don’t have enough experience yet to decide whether this is an essential tool for me or if it will replace enough of my regular cooking to earn its spot… we’ll see! 😍 But it’s such an amazing and super cool gift, and I can’t wait to use it more. Huge thanks to Solar Brother! 💕

Servings

Ingredients

Cups

-onion 1
-cooked white beans 260 (g)
-oregano 1 (tbsp)
-crushed tomatoes 400 (mL)
-soy cream 125 (mL)
-salt
-pepper
-olive oil 1 (tbsp)
-vegan grated cheese 50 (g)
-country bread 4 (slice)

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Steps

Peel and finely chop the onion.
In the solar oven pot, add the oil, chopped onion, white beans, oregano, crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
Pour in the soy cream and sprinkle with vegan shredded cheese. Place the lid on and wrap the pot in the designated plastic bag.
Place the pot in the properly aligned solar oven and let it cook for about 3 hours, checking and adjusting the orientation every 30 minutes.
Serve with slices of bread!