A winter veggie dish to put on your cooking list: Jerusalem artichoke soup. ~ by Deanna Segrave-Daly, RD
These little guys showed up in my CSA share last year and I was stumped on what to make of them.
Jerusalem artichokes, also know as sunchokes, sunroots or earth apples, are a winter tuber vegetable that look a bit like ginger root. They have a clean, fresh taste that’s a cross between an artichoke, a potato and a sunflower seed. Their season runs from October through April so now is when you may find them at a winter’s farmers’ market or even your local grocer.
When I’m in a root veggie rut during these colder months, Jerusalem artichokes are what get me out of my tastebud lull.
Nutrition wise, these guys provide a decent amount of iron, potassium, fiber, Vitamin C and some of the B vitamins. But now for some….ahem….”digestive disclosure”: Jerusalem artichokes contain inulin, a type of natural fiber, and this can cause gas and bloating in some people. I’ve hadn’t had any issues myself but if this your first time eating them, keep this in mind.
Moving forward.
When buying, look for plump roots with a bright brown skin. Avoid any with a green like color or any that are shriveled or sprouting – much like you’d avoid when buying potatoes.
Peel them with a veggie peeler or for the smaller ones, you can use a spoon to scrape off the skin (a trick that works for ginger root too.)
You can eat them raw – shaved or thinly sliced Jerusalem artichokes are a delicious addition to salads. And they are really simple to cook. Just like a potato, they can be roasted, boiled, baked, sautéed, mashed and pureed.
Currently, my favorite way to cook with them is to make a simple Jerusalem artichoke soup, inspired by this recipe from Simply Recipes. I add a bit of milk in at the end for an extra creamy version but you could certainly keep this dish vegan by skipping the milk and using olive oil instead of butter.
PrintJerusalem Artichoke Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 leeks, cleaned and finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 1/2 cups peeled and chopped Jerusalem artichokes (about 8 large)
- 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup lowfat milk
- Nonfat Greek yogurt
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add garlic and sauté 1 minute.
- Add Jerusalem artichokes, broth, pepper and salt; bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for 40 minutes or until Jerusalem artichokes have softened, stirring occasionally.
- Mix in thyme and milk, cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender or in a food processor.
- Serve with a dollop of yogurt, if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4-6 servings
A few other Jerusalem artichoke/sunchoke recipes fro Cooking Light that I want to try: Spicy Chicken and Sunchoke Stir Fry and Sunchoke Latkes.
Have you ever eaten or cooked Jerusalem artichokes or sunchokes? What winter veggie are you craving right now? Let us know – we love chatting with you via your comments!
Randolph Morgan
Thursday 26th of April 2018
I've heard that soaking them first is the way to remove the flatulent that are common with Jerusalem artichokes.
Deanna Segrave-Daly
Friday 27th of April 2018
That's a great tip - will try it next time I cook with them - thanks for sharing!
Mariam arzuyan
Wednesday 17th of January 2018
My family from Armenia have always eaten this root veggie raw. Very yummy snack, and call it an earth apple. thanks for the tips.
Deanna Segrave-Daly
Wednesday 17th of January 2018
Oh wow - I didn't know you could eat it raw! And love the nickname "earth apple" - thanks so much for sharing and stopping by the blog :)
Pamela S
Sunday 5th of January 2014
Looks good. I get sunchokes in my CSA box in winter and early spring. I usually boil them in broth and puree them and add butter. Halfway between a soup and a mash.
Deanna Segrave-Daly
Sunday 5th of January 2014
Ooh, sounds delicious! I'm going to try that with my next batch.