Creamy Jerusalem Artichoke (Sunchoke) Soup
Cream of Jerusalem artichoke soup (aka Sunchoke) is a wonderfully simple and delicious recipe with rich sour cream and a hint of cumin.
This recipe will go from your fridge to your table in a little under an hour and it is perfect for preparing in advance.
Creamy & Comforting Sunchoke Soup
I love a good bowl of soup, they are my regular lunchtime meal throughout autumn, winter and into early spring.
I have recipes for creamy soups like cream of mushroom soup, Polish zupa ogorkowa and broccoli and stilton soup, hearty chunky soups like a classic Hungarian Gulyásleves and Welsh Cawl.
There are meaty offerings like my very special Oxtail soup, to vegetarian delights like my Chinese hot and sour soup.
My latest soup features a woefully underused vegetable, the Jerusalem artichoke or Sunchoke.
If you've never tried them, then you are missing out! They are almost sweet and nutty and are often described as having hints of "vanilla".
Here, I've contrasted their sweet undertones with sour cream and added a little hint of cumin, which I think works beautifully with them.
Not only do they taste great, but they are versatile too! They roast wonderfully and also make amazing chips, crisps, puree and mash!
Whilst I am on the subject of Jerusalem artichoke puree, you really must check out this pork chop recipe. It comes with both a Jerusalem artichoke puree and a great blackberry sauce!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to peel Jerusalem Artichokes?
They are often gnarly, ugly-looking things that can be a challenge to peel.
Whilst they do look a little like ginger, do not be tempted to try the ginger spoon trick; it really does not work.
I start with a vegetable peeler to get most of the peel off, then move to a pairing knife to get at the remaining skin.
Do I have to peel Jerusalem artichokes?
No, the skin is wonderfully tasty, and I leave it on for the crisps that I use as a garnish. However, they make the soup a little muddy in colour, and as a result, I prefer to peel them.
When are Jerusalem artichokes in season?
Jerusalem artichokes are a rare vegetable that is only available to buy in season. That season (in the UK) tends to run from the end of November through to March/April.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, this will sit fine in the fridge for 2-3 days without any degradation, although you may need to add more stock when reheating it.
Can I use a stick blender?
Yes, absolutely, I find that they are not quite as efficient at blending a soup, but they are much easier to clean than a blender!
Serving Suggestions
Jerusalem artichoke soup, like most bowls of soup, needs very little other than some nice bread and some toppings.
Here, I've added a sprinkle of sweet paprika (what can I say, I spent 13 years living in Hungary) and some wonderful Jerusalem artichoke crisps.
The crisps are easy to make, and there are instructions in the recipe and in the video, which is below the recipe.
When it comes to bread, I've toasted off a baguette in a little olive oil and rubbed it with garlic.
If I were to be baking bread, then I would likely make a soda bread, it's simple to make, quick and tastes delicious!
Equipment Used
I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 20cm or 8" saucepan (with a lid).
- Blender.
- Fine mesh sieve (optional).
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Vegetable peeler or paring knife.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- A combination of weighing scales, measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
If you are making the Jerusalem artichoke crisps as a garnish, you will also need a small (24cm or 10") frying pan and some tweezers.
Simple Cream of Jerusalem Artichoke Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g Jerusalem Artichokes 3-3½ Cups (prepared volume)
- 50 g Butter 3 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon
- 1 Small Onion 75g or ½ Cup
- 2 Small Celery Sticks 70-75g total
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 375 ml Vegetable stock 1½ Cups
- 150 ml Sour Cream ½ Cup + 2 tablespoon
- Salt (to taste)
For and Optional Artichoke Crisp Garnish:
- 1 Jerusalem Artichoke
- Oil
Instructions
- Cut the onion in half, peel it and cut it into a 5mm (¼") dice.
- Cut the celery sticks into the same size dice as the onion.
- Peel and slice the garlic cloves as thinly as you can.
- Peel and slice the Jerusalem artichokes into 5mm (¼") thick coins. Place them in a bowl of cold water with a splash of lemon juice to prevent them from going brown.
- Heat the butter over a medium heat in a 20cm (8") saucepan. Add in the onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes.
- Once the onions are soft and translucent, add in the garlic, black pepper, and cumin seeds, then cook for 1 minute.
- Dry the Jerusalem artichokes on some kitchen paper and add them to the pan, stir and cook for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and the lemon juice, add a lid, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, then cook until the artichokes are soft, about 15-20 minutes. Have a taste of the stock and add more salt now if required.
- Then blend the soup until smooth. I like to pass the soup through a fine mesh sieve back into the pan.
- Stir through the sour cream and bring the soup back to temperature, taking care not to boil it hard.
- If you want to add the Jerusalem artichoke crisp topping, heat 2-3mm (⅛") of oil in the base of a 24cm (10") pan over a high heat,When the oil is almost hot, slice the artichokes as thin as you can. I use a mandolin set at 1mm, then toss them into the oil and fry until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.Then serve.
Last spring (southern hemisphere) I planted a few topinamburs that grew into huge and beautiful plants with hundreds of bright yellow flowers. Now I harvested a very large amount of sunchokes, I will definitely try this soup tomorrow!
Excellent, enjoy 🙂
I made the sunchoke soup which was delicious. The only negative comment which will be advantageous to others is that the recommended measure of stock is fine for flavour but I had to add further water, around 150 ml.
Thanks for the feedback John, I'll add a note into the post saying that you may need to add extra water to get the texture that you are looking for.
I grew Jerusalem artichokes in a raised bed one year. Fortunately it was a short row and we were able to extract them all so they didn't grow back. Next time I see them available at the market, I'll have to buy some so I can try this soup. It sounds delicious!
So I've just heard about these sunchokes recently. This soup looks delicious and creamy. I hope to find some of these at the markets to give this a try. Looks great.
artichoke soup???!!! Wow! That sounds ahhhh-mazing. I clearly need this in my life.
I have ate this at the "fancy" restaurants and loved it, but I have never made it myself. I am so excited to find this recipe and try to make it at home. It looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
This looks and sounds amazing! I adore soup! Can't wait to try your recipe!
I am excited to make this soup but not familiar with converting grams to teaspoons,tablespoons and cups. How do I convert the measurements?
Hi Sandra... I am really not familiar with cups at all, we just do not use them in Europe, but I use this as a start when I am trying to convert the other way 🙂
I do use teaspoons and tablespoons, I highly recommend buying an electronic scale with a tare function, it should cost you no more than 10 dollars, they will shift seamlessly between imperial and metric measurements.
Enjoy 🙂
I grew Jerusalem artichokes in a raised bed one year. Fortunately it was a short row and we were able to extract them all so they didn't grow back. Next time I see them available at the market, I'll have to buy some so I can try this soup. It sounds delicious!
lol, if only I had of done that 😉
So I've just heard about these sunchokes recently. This soup looks delicious and creamy. I hope to find some of these at the markets to give this a try. Looks great.
It is very good, you must give them a try, wonderfully nutty and almost sweet.
Wow! That sounds ahhhh-mazing. I clearly need this in my life.
It is very very good!
I have ate this at the "fancy" restaurants and loved it, but I have never made it myself. I am so excited to find this recipe and try to make it at home. It looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
As you can see it is far from 'fancy' just a really simple cream of soup... It has a great flavour, enjoy!
This looks and sounds amazing! I adore soup! Can't wait to try your recipe!
Enjoy!
Twenty years! Brian! I have never had a Jersusalem artichoke. I always thought they were more like "artichoke" artichokes, which I love eating but have no interest in preparing.
They do seem to be a vegetable that has dropped from view, my guess is because the refuse to grow uniformly and are often ugly as sin and as such difficult to market (ever the cynic) but they are really tasty and I love them... And most importantly no where near the headache to prepare that globe artichokes are.
Am intrigued...I've never tried or heard of Jerusalem Artichoke before but this makes me want to try it! It looks wonderful. Am going to be on the look out.
It does not surprise me it is a woefully underused and resiliant vegetable, I think it is less popular with commercial growers as it is very difficult to contain! You may have come across it by its 'American' name Sunchoke?
@Brian Jones, they are so easy to grow, and their flowers are beautiful in Autumn.
I am lucky to have a patch of them and I leave small knobs when harvesting, so I can have next year.
They are another present from Native Americans for the rest of the world.
We used to grow an enormous quantity of vegetables and we found them a curse 😉 One persons easy to grow can very quickly become another persons invasive species lol. But yes they are glorious things 😀
I haven't made anything with Jerusalem Artichoke but this is certainly an inspiration. I love soup and we make a pot once a week -- sometimes more often. This is going on the roster. Thank you for sharing, Brian.
Thanks Marisa, I'm with you on the soup thing... I think I have a major obsession with it and make different types all the time!
As it stands I have some lovely Jerusalem Artichoke sitting in the fridge. Hubby bought it and now he has no idea what to do with it… well we just have an answer 🙂
Excellent please let me know how you get on, I love these wee ugly vegetables, they have the most incredible flavour.
That looks good! I haven't tried cooking with Jerusalem artichokes yet.
Cheers David they are a much underused vegetable in my mind. Wonderfully sweet, nutty and incredibly versatile.
This sounds so delicious, I never thought to grow my own artichoke but this has really inspired me. Thank you for sharing this amazing soup can't wait to try it
Thanks Khadija, I hope you enjoy!
Gosh I haven't thought of these in years! Such a nutritious delicious veggie! I too grew them for a while. They don't do well here. But they did mange to replenish their scrawny selves all over our garden space! I think i'll stop and pick some up at the grocery and make this soup! Perfect winter comfort food!
Glad to add a reminder Diane, I love these things... More than happy to have them now contained to a bin now rather than where ever they choose to grow, they join a list of just 2 things that we refuse to grow in t our plots as they are a pain, these and garbanzo beans (chick peas)... Give them a wide berth!