Solar drying is a sustainable solution that utilizes renewable energy in the dehydration process of food products. The drying of ora-pro-nobis (OPN) leaves, a plant native to South America, has gained attention due to its nutritional properties and health benefits, being especially relevant as an alternative source of protein and essential nutrients. In this context, this study aimed to compare the efficiency of two solar drying methods under various aspects. The research used a dryer to test passive direct and rotary baskets. In the direct passive baskets, the average internal temperature reached 42.9  \(^{\circ }\) C, with an average increase of 12.9  \(^{\circ }\) C in relation to the ambient temperature, and an average solar radiation of 592 W/m \(^{2}\) . The moisture content of the OPN was reduced from 79% to 4% in 690 min, resulting in an average drying rate of 0.006 (kg \(_\textrm{water}\) /kg \(_\textrm{ds}\) )/min, indicating water weight per dry solid weight over a specific period. In the rotary basket method, the average solar radiation was 752 W/m \(^{2}\) , with an average temperature of 49  \(^{\circ }\) C, and the moisture content was reduced in 240 min, with an average drying rate of 0.019 (kg \(_\textrm{water}\) /kg \(_\textrm{ds}\) )/min. Comparing the methods, drying at 40  \(^{\circ }\) C in an oven took 142 h and resulted in an energy saving of 230.04 kWh for direct passive method, while the energy consumption in the rotary method was negligible. The water activity of the products was also evaluated, resulting in a value of 0.33 for two different temperatures. This study reveals a valuable alternative for farmers, taking into account costs and, especially, the reduction in processing time.