This creamy, hearty soup is made with Jerusalem artichoke, also known as Jerusalem artichoke. These starchy tubers make a filling soup when combined with onions, garlic, celery, and broth. Great as leftovers!
When I was a kid, my mom would often add sliced raw Jerusalem artichoke to our salads. I have no idea why. She doesn’t anymore, and hasn’t for years.
At the time I just thought they looked weird and didn’t taste like much. Nothing like the real artichokes we kids fought over at the dinner table. My childhood spirit decided that very good artichokes are not grown in Jerusalem.
Ha! Well, mystery solved.
It turns out that Jerusalem artichokes are neither artichokes nor from Jerusalem.
They are bulbous native to North America and the plant is related to and resembles sunflowers. (In fact, they’re often called Jerusalem artichokes these days.)
“Jerusalem” is said to have developed from the Italian name of the plant “girasole” for sunflower.
Why “artichoke”? If only my mother had cooked them, that part of the puzzle would have been solved for me. Cooked, they taste surprisingly like artichokes. Yummy!
A traditional and wonderfully easy way to prepare these chokes is as a soup. If you like the taste of artichokes, I highly recommend making this soup with Jerusalem artichokes. This is lick-the-bowl good.
A word to the wise
Jerusalem artichoke is known to… well, how do I put it politely… causing gas, especially when raw. In fact, Hank calls them “Fartichokes”. (He grows them in his garden; he should know.) He tells me that slow cooking, like this soup-making routine, greatly reduces the problem.
Um, while I’m sure I’ll risk telling you too much information, I haven’t had a particular gassy issue with this soup. Thank goodness because I can’t wait to do it again.
How to prepare Jerusalem artichoke
Sunchokes can be boiled, braised, roasted, steamed, sautéed, or even eaten raw. You don’t have to peel them; You can just scrub them clean and boil them. However, if you prefer, you can peel them first.
If you want to neutralize the inulin in Jerusalem artichokes (it’s the chemical that causes the bloating or gas everyone is talking about), you can boil them in water with lemon juice or vinegar. The acid hydrolyzes the inulin and turns it into sugar.
How to store leftover soup
Cooked Jerusalem artichoke will only keep for a few days in the fridge. The same goes for the leftover soup. Although this soup is dairy-free, it’s best not to freeze the soup or keep it for too long, as Jerusalem artichoke has a tendency to oxidize and discolor in air.
More soup recipes to try!
- cornsup
- Gazpacho soup
- Summer minestrone soup
- Potage Pisto
- Potato-Leek Soup
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Sunchoke Soup
ingredients
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2 tablespoon unsalted butter
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1 Cup chopped Onion
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2 stems celerychopped
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2 big cloves garlicchopped
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Kosher salttaste
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2 lb Jerusalem Artichokepeeled and cut into pieces
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1 quart chicken broth (Use vegetable broth for vegetarian options and gluten-free broth if cooking gluten-free)
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freshly ground black pepper, taste
method
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Sauté the onions, celery and then the garlic:
Heat butter in a stockpot over medium-high heat until melted. Add the onions and celery and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Don’t tan them. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Sprinkle with salt.
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Add Jerusalem artichoke and broth:
Add the Jerusalem artichoke and your choice of broth to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the Jerusalem artichokes begin to break down, 45 minutes to an hour.
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Puree and serve the soup:
Puree the soup with a hand blender or hand blender. If using a stand mixer, only fill the blender bowl to 1/3 capacity at a time when the soup is hot. Keep the lid pressed while blending. Alternatively, you can press the soup through the finest grid of a food grinder or through a sturdy sieve. Add more salt to taste.
Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper before serving.
How to thicken soupCONTINUE READING:
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 333 | calories |
| 9g | Fat |
| 55g | carbohydrates |
| 12g | protein |
