Have you ever tried Jerusalem artichokes? I discovered something new and delicious last night. After making a batch of Turnip, Apple & Jerusalem Artichoke Soup for dinner, I had quite a bit of leftover artichokes. Meghan had bought a pound of them at the farmer's market a couple of weeks ago, and I was finally getting around to using them. I figured I'd better use them all, before they went bad. So after looking around on the internet for awhile, I decided the best way to use the remainder was to roast them.
How do you roast a Jerusalem artichoke? Cut them in slices, peeled or unpeeled (I peeled mine, but apparently you don't have to). I made them about 1/2" thick. Preheat your oven to 400F and get out a sheet pan. Spread the artichokes on the sheet pan and toss with a little bit of extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Then put them in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, turning about halfway through. That's it, and they came out incredibly delicious. Most recipes called for them being baked with sliced potatoes, but I didn't bother with the potatoes. Sorry, no pictures, we ate them too fast.
What is a Jerusalem artichoke? They are not artichokes, and they are not from Jerusalem. Jerusalem artichoke, botanically-named Helianthus tuberosus, is the tuber of a variety of perennial flower in the aster family. The flowers look like small yellow sunflowers. Also marketed as sunchokes, these gnarly little tubers look a lot like ginger root. The tubers have a potato-like texture often recommended as a potato substitute for diabetics.
Here's the recipe for the soup. It's delicious, flavorful, creamy and very low calorie and healthy. I just had a bowl for lunch--yummm!
TURNIP, APPLE & JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE SOUP
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 leek, trimmed, only the white and light green parts, minced
1/2 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup water
2 cups vegetable broth
6 small turnips, peeled & diced
1 cup Jerusalem artichokes, diced (you may peel or not peel, your choice)
1 Granny Smith or other tart apple, peeled, cored and diced
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add leek, onion & garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften. Add 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until water is almost completely evaporated, about 15 minutes.
Add turnips, Jerusalem artichokes, apple and 2 cups vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until apple & vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
Puree soup in batches in a blender until smooth, or use a stick blender to puree until smooth. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
How do you roast a Jerusalem artichoke? Cut them in slices, peeled or unpeeled (I peeled mine, but apparently you don't have to). I made them about 1/2" thick. Preheat your oven to 400F and get out a sheet pan. Spread the artichokes on the sheet pan and toss with a little bit of extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Then put them in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, turning about halfway through. That's it, and they came out incredibly delicious. Most recipes called for them being baked with sliced potatoes, but I didn't bother with the potatoes. Sorry, no pictures, we ate them too fast.
What is a Jerusalem artichoke? They are not artichokes, and they are not from Jerusalem. Jerusalem artichoke, botanically-named Helianthus tuberosus, is the tuber of a variety of perennial flower in the aster family. The flowers look like small yellow sunflowers. Also marketed as sunchokes, these gnarly little tubers look a lot like ginger root. The tubers have a potato-like texture often recommended as a potato substitute for diabetics.
Here's the recipe for the soup. It's delicious, flavorful, creamy and very low calorie and healthy. I just had a bowl for lunch--yummm!
TURNIP, APPLE & JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE SOUP
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 leek, trimmed, only the white and light green parts, minced
1/2 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup water
2 cups vegetable broth
6 small turnips, peeled & diced
1 cup Jerusalem artichokes, diced (you may peel or not peel, your choice)
1 Granny Smith or other tart apple, peeled, cored and diced
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add leek, onion & garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften. Add 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until water is almost completely evaporated, about 15 minutes.
Add turnips, Jerusalem artichokes, apple and 2 cups vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until apple & vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
Puree soup in batches in a blender until smooth, or use a stick blender to puree until smooth. Add more salt and pepper to taste.