Jerusalem Artichoke Recipe: Creamy No-Dairy Vegetable Soup

Jerusalem artichokes, or sunchokes, are outstanding for making silky, thick creamy soups in combination with a variety of winter vegetables. Adding cream or milk is not necessary to achieve a satisfying, delicious, elegant soup.

Easy to Grow, Easy to Eat

Last spring we planted Jerusalem artichokes and this fall and winter we have been creating recipes to enjoy the tasty harvest from our garden.  Jerusalem artichokes, or  sunchokes, are native to North America and were first eaten by Native Americans. They are hardy and easy to grow and produce abundant sunflowers and edible tubers.

You can find them at farmer's markets, select grocery stores, or from your CSA, but for a reliable supply throughout the fall and winter try growing them yourself. They have a mild nutty taste, and are perfect for growing along a sunny fence as part of  your edible landscape. See my previous post for more details and a recipe for sunchokes and sautéed mushrooms.

 

Creamy Sunchoke and Carrot Soup
Cooked sunchokes have a creamy texture and earthy flavor that makes for really delicious pureed soups. You can make the soup with different veggie combinations. Try potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, winter squash, or even spinach.

You Will Need

• 2 cups Sunchokes, cleaned and cut into ½ inch pieces, about 4 – 5 sunchokes

• 2 cups carrots (or other vegetable), cleaned, peeled and cut into ½ inch chunks, about 3 – 4 carrots

• 1 medium onion, diced (or 2 leeks sliced thinly, or 2 -3 shallots sliced thinly)

• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and chopped

• 4 cups of vegetable broth

Plus
Olive oil to saute the vegetables

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon curry powder, if desired
 
To Prepare Sunchokes

Scrub any remaining soil off of the tubers with a vegetable brush under running water. If you have trouble cleaning between the bumby parts just break them up. It's not necessary to peel off the thin skin. Slice the tubers about 1/2 inch thick.

Cook the Vegetables 
Warm up about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in large heavy bottomed soup pot. Add the diced onion and garlic and cook on medium to low heat until they soften and begin to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the sunchokes and carrots pieces and stir to coat with the olive oil and onions. Add 3 cups of the broth so that the vegetables are just beginning to float but still crowded (you don’t want to end up with a thin soup) and simmer covered for about 20 – 25 minutes

Puree the Soup
Add more broth if needed. Season with salt and pepper and the curry powder, if desired. Using an immersion blender (stick blender) or conventional blender, puree the soup until all of the vegetables have been processed into a silky, smooth, thick soup. Add more broth or water if it is too thick.

Serve or Store
Serve warm immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container to use within a few days.

 This post was also published @ Eat, Drink, Better

Photos: Urban Artichoke

Buddha's Hand Lemon Preserved in Simple Syrup

I couldn't resist buying one of these curious and spectacular citrus (Citrus medica var. sarcodactylus) at our farmer's market. It looks like an elegant sea creature! Hamada Farms has been selling them last fall and winter in our area (SF Bay Area). Known as the Buddha's Hand Lemon or Buddha's Hand Citron, it grows on a frost-tender small tree. Apparently the fruits take a long time to develop, and easily weigh about a pound each. The tree is quite a sight with several of these hanging from it.

The Buddha's Hand Lemon has no juice or pulp

The Buddha Hand Lemon is surprisingly fragrant, and that's what makes it popular, in addition to its unusual form. It's also unique in that it is filled with white pith and no pulp or juice, but the pith is only slightly bitter and the rind is wonderfully citrusy.  Use the zest in recipes calling for lemon zest, or preserve it for use in baking, ice cream, or yogurt.

After displaying it on my dining table for a week I preserved it in a simple syrup to use in baking and other recipes, but you can also make candied lemon pieces.

Buddha's Hand Lemon in Simple Syrup

1 large Buddha's Hand Lemon, scrubbed and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces or smaller
3 cups of granulated sugar
3 cups of water

In a large sauce pan, heat the water and stir in the sugar. Keep stirring the sugar until it is all dissolved- being careful not to burn it. Add the chopped lemon pieces and let them simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook until they turn translucent as shown in the photo below. It will take about 20 - 30 minutes, or more.

I added finely chopped  preserved Buddha's Hand to my granola recipe- yummy!

Let it cool until you can pour it safely into a clean quart size canning jar. Store in the refrigerator with a lid on the jar when it has completely cooled. It will keep for several months.

Photos: Urban Artichoke