photo by Dave Koch
Also known as Jerusalem Artichokes, you can make Sunchokes into a quick, easy, and delicious soup in about 15 minutes. Interestingly enough, Sunchokes are native to North America and are one of the continent's only tubers. When they bloom, their flower looks much like a small Sunflower.
The name Jerusalem artichoke is from the Italian name Girasole articicco (Sunflower Artichoke) because of their plumage and because the first group of Italians to snack on them thought they tasted like artichokes. When the name came back to the New World, Americans had difficulty saying Girasole and thus converted it to Jerusalem.
And now back to the soup. In full disclosure, these were the first Sunchokes I have had. I peeled them, cut off a little piece to eat raw, and was blown away by how sweet they were. My first thought was how tasty they would be raw in a salad, much like Jicama - maybe next time, soup was already in the works...
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound of Sunchokes, peeled and diced
- 2 small carrots, or one giant one, diced
- 2 ribs of celery, diced
- 1 tablespoon of chicken or veggie bouillon, I like the brand Better than Bouillon
- 4 cups water
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Instructions:
In a medium/hot pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil, the carrots, celery, and the sunchokes. Season well with salt & pepper and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. When they yield easily to being prodded with a fork, add the water and the bouillon and bring to a boil.
Hold the boil for 5 minutes, and when complete, blend thoroughly with an emersion blender (or transfer to a traditional blender in batches). I garnished with a dollop of yogurt, a drizzle of olive oil, and a few squirts of Sriracha Hot Sauce
Enjoy!