Last Updated on February 25, 2024
Skip straight to my recipe for Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
Do you like Jerusalem artichokes? Strange-looking roots with a nutty flavour, they are great mashed up and served with game dishes. Also known as sunchokes, they are not related at all to the artichokes you might eat in a salad or on top of a pizza.
You’ll hear them referred to as ‘fartichokes’ too. Like baked beans, they can make you windy. The sweet nutty flavour comes from inulin, a soluble fibre that is broken down by gut bacteria. I suspect it’s one of those vegetables that affects people in different ways – I don’t seem to have too much of a problem with this particular soup, a winter favourite of mine. There are lots of suggestions if you DO find it a problem. You can try soaking the peeled roots in salted water overnight, then cook them in milk. Or, serve them with something to help your digestive system – wholemeal bread, caraway or fennel seeds for example.
I like this Jerusalem artichoke recipe for its versatility. Make it with a vegan vegetable stock powder and olive oil and you can serve it to vegetarian and vegan diners. If you want a more substantial soup, use a chicken bone broth (you can even add some shredded chicken). Or keep it veggie by adding a handful of chopped toasted hazelnuts. I’ve served it here with double cream and nutmeg, but I also like it with a little truffle oil. Do you get the picture? Make the base soup in bulk and freeze it for later variations. It will keep in the freezer for at least 4 months.
My Jerusalem artichokes were a gift from a local allotment owner. Once you’ve planted Jerusalem artichokes they come back year after year and this particular lady seems to have been able to supply half the street with nutty treats. Normally I have to buy them from the Farmers’ market – and they can be quite expensive in London. So, this soup uses an equal weight of potatoes and artichokes. For around 250g of potatoes and 250g of artichokes, I use one onion. The quantity of stock you need is just enough to cover the roots when they are in a stockpot. That’s about half a litre for me.
If you have a different quantity of Jerusalem artichokes, this recipe is quite easy to adjust. Just remember to use roughly the same weight of potatoes to artichokes.
Jerusalem artichoke soup
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker (optional)
Ingredients
- 250 grams Jerusalem artichokes
- 250 grams potatoes
- 1 medium onion
- 15 millilitres olive oil
- 500 millilitres stock
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 20 millilitres double cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel the vegetables and chop into chunks
- Soften the onion in the olive oil. If you have an electric pressure cooker with saute function use that. Otherwise, do this in a large frying pan
- Add the remaining vegetables to your onions and put the mixture into your stockpot or pressure cooker
- Season with pepper and a little salt and pour over the stock
- Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes or on a conventional hob for 50 minutes till the vegetables are really soft
- Once cooked, blitz the mixture with a wand mixer, taste and add more salt and pepper as necessary
- Serve garnished with fresh double cream and a grating of nutmeg
Nutrition
Looking for something different? Try this broccoli, stilton and celery soup
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