Until last week I’d only eaten Jerusalem artichokes raw and thinly sliced in a baby spinach leaf salad with plenty of crushed garlic in sherry vinegar vinaigrette. On Sunday I had been talking to Jillian of Fruition about something else when she showed me the Jerusalem artichokes she’d successfully grown for the first time. I immediately bought a large bag, later realising that I would have to make several salads or something else to get through them. I then thought, what about trying a soup. This recipe is the result. I’d already made a flavoursome chicken stock so I had a good base to start. As usual feel free to adjust the quantities according to your taste. You could also add 1-2 potatoes.
- Ingredients
- 800g – 1kg Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed clean (peel if you wish) and cut into cubes
- 2-3 small leeks or 1 large, thinly sliced white part only
- 2-3 stalks celery
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 2-3 whole heads of roasted garlic,
- 150ml dry sherry or white wine
- 4-5 cups chicken stock
- Sprig of fresh thyme
- 2-3 bay leaves
- Juice and rind of 1 lemon
- Freshly ground nutmeg to taste
- Salt and pepper
Method
Roast the garlic in the oven for about 45 minutes until soft. Squeeze out the soft flesh.
Put all the ingredients including the garlic flesh, in a pot. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 1 hour.
Blend till smooth. This will be a reasonably thick soup. If you want something thinner add more chicken stock at the beginning. If you like a really creamy soup, add a splash or two or cream at the end. Check the seasoning.
Serve and garnish with finely chopped parsley and/or a teaspoon of crème fraiche.