Sun Oven Fennel and Potato Soup

This week I'll be making a lot of big batches of foods that freeze well. I'm going to visit my mother at the end of the month and Martin will be on his own for ten days. The last time I was away for that long he lived on frozen pizza and chinese take out. I'm hoping that with a well stocked freezer, the Sun Oven, and Arizona's abundant sunshine he'll eat a little better this time.

I adapted this recipe from Bon Appétit. In the original recipe it's garnished with smoked salmon. I normally use a salmon paté that I get at Ikea. I didn't have any, and a trip to Ikea on Saturday is not my idea of fun, so I improvised. In some of the reviews on Bon Appétit's website other cooks had substituted with prosciutto. I didn't have any prosciutto either. I did have some leftover corned beef from a reuben sandwich I had on my way home from L.A. It was o.k. but next time I think I'll make the trip to Ikea.

Solar Oven Potato-Fennel Soup with Salmon Patè

1 Tbs butter

1 medium onion chopped

2 fennel bulbs chopped, fronds reserved

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

4 medium potatoes, diced (about 1 1/2 pounds)

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

Abba salmon pate

Melt butter. Saute onions until soft. Add fennel, seeds, potatoes, and broth. Transfer to Sun Oven. When potatoes are tender, after approx. an hour,  remove from solar oven and blend in the pot with an immersion blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with chopped fennel fronds and salmon pate.

Solar Cooked Potato Fennel Soup with Salmon Patè

I found this recipe on epicurious.com and made a few minor modifications. The original recipe called for smoked salmon. I used salmon patè that comes in a tube, which I got from, of all places, Ikea. It's cheaper, more convenient and, in my opinion, works better in this recipe than smoked salmon. Even without salmon this is a perfectly acceptable soup. The salmon, however, takes it from a ho hum dish to something good enough for company. Here's my version.

Solar Oven Potato-Fennel Soup with Salmon Patè

2 tsp butter

1 leek white part only chopped

1 fennel bulb chopped, fronds reserved

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1 large potato, diced

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

Abba salmon pate

Melt butter in a cast iron dutch oven. Add fennel, leek and fennel seed and cook until soft. Add potatoes and chicken broth. Cover and transfer to solar oven. When potatoes are tender remove from solar oven and blend in the pot with an immersion blender. Add more chicken broth if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with chopped fennel fronds and salmon pate.

In addition to substituting the smoked salmon with the patè I also cut the recipe in half and used less butter. This is yet another recipe that adapts perfectly to solar cooking.