Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 35 min.
Jerusalem artichokes, topinambours or sunchokes, are the root tubers of a sunflower species with a skin similar to ginger root and a color ranging from dark pink to beige. A peasant dish in times when the harvest was not so bountiful. This almost forgotten vegetable is now back in style and at its peak taste from October to early spring.
There is no need to peel Jerusalem Artichokes. A good kitchen potato scrubber will do the job perfectly. All you need to do is to remove the excess soil. They are roots, remember?
Ingredients
- 600 gr (about 1 1/4 lbs) Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed clean and chopped roughly, bits of skin can be left on.
- 750 ml (3/4 cup) chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 medium onion, about 1/2 cup, finely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1-2 teasp curry powder
- 200 ml (about 1 cup) of light cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Bring enough water to boil so artichoke pieces are covered. Parboil them for 2-3 minutes. Drain and discard water.
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add Jerusalem artichokes and garlic and continue cooking for 5 minutes longer, stirring now and then.
Add the honey and the curry powder. Stir until well mixed. Pour in the chicken stock and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes or until Jerusalem artichokes are quite soft. If soup seems too thick, add a bit more stock. Taste for salt and pepper.
Whiz soup with a hand blender or in a food processor until smooth. I personally like to leave a few bits of Jerusalem artichokes in the soup. They add texture to it.
Serve with fresh chopped parsley and a nice crusty bread.