Favourite Jerusalem Artichoke Soup

Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) are one of the most underrated root vegetables. Knobby and weird-looking, they taste like a cross between artichoke hearts and water chestnuts. This soup is the simplest possible showcase: boil, mash, simmer in broth, finish with fresh dill.

The technique is intentionally minimalist. Sunchokes have such a distinctive sweet-nutty flavor that elaborate preparations actually obscure them. Just five ingredients and 30 minutes lets the vegetable do all the talking.

Peeling sunchokes after boiling (rather than before) is the smart move. The thin papery skins slip off easily once cooked, and you avoid the tedious knife work of peeling the bumpy raw tubers. Discard the cooking water and start fresh with chicken broth for the soup proper.

Fresh dill is the finishing herb that makes this soup sing. It has an affinity with sunchokes that’s almost mystical, the same way basil works with tomatoes. Don’t substitute dried dill. The fresh aromatics matter here.

Chef Tips

• Scrub the sunchokes hard with a stiff brush to clean dirt from all the crevices.
• For silkier soup, puree the mashed sunchokes with broth using an immersion blender.
• Heads up that sunchokes can cause digestive issues (gas) for some people. Don’t serve to a crowd you haven’t fed before.
• A swirl of cream or a drizzle of olive oil on each bowl adds richness.

Variations

• Saute the green onions in a pat of butter first for deeper flavor base.
• Add a peeled, chopped pear during the simmer for sweet floral notes.
• Top with toasted hazelnuts or crispy bacon bits for textural contrast.