Cream of Sunchoke Soup

A tuber only a mother could love?

We’ve been on a sunchoke kick recently since these ugly little tubers are all over the Ballard and University District Farmers Markets these days. Nash’s Organic Produce had them on sale on Sunday, so we bought another pound or so. If you liked the Jerusalem Artichoke Gratin, check out this recipe that turns these sweet and earthy tubers into soup.

This light, but creamy soup is great for those nights when you’re still craving soup, but you don’t need something as hearty as Winter Beef Stew. It would go very well with your favorite beef or chicken or pair it with a cabbage salad for a lighter fare. The flavor of the sunchokes really shines through in this soup and you can taste the distant relationship that sunchokes have with artichokes. Caramelizing the leeks gives the soup a lovely depth and makes your kitchen smell wonderful.

Cream of Sunchoke Soup

• 1 pound sunchokes
• 1 large leek
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Salt, pepper, and spices

Discard the root and the tip of the leek and slice the rest thinly.

In a medium to large soup pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the butter is completely melted.

Add the leeks and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook for between 10 and 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cooking the leeks over medium heat will help caramelize them. You’ll know that you’re ready to move on to the next step when some of the leek slices are turning golden brown.

Scrub the sunchokes and cut them into 1 inch slices.

Add the sunchokes, the stock, and the water to the pot.

Turn the heat up to medium-high and simmer (just below boiling), for about 20 minutes, or until the sunchokes are easily pierced with a fork.

Blend the soup with an immersion blender, or transfer the soup a little bit at a time to a standard blender and blend until smooth.

Add the cream and stir to combine.

Now comes the fun part: seasoning the soup. There are many ways you can go with this soup. I loved adding smoked paprika, but I still thought the soup needed just a bit more. Thyme or rosemary would give a bit of a pep, but my favorite spice to add is Bacon Salt. Hickory smoked sea salt also added a nice depth. If you’re feeling adventurous, try crumbling some tangy goat cheese over the top of even adding some crisped pancetta or fried kale strips.