When the edible tuber sunchoke, also commonly referred to as “Jerusalem Artichoke”, make an occassional appearance at my local market, it’s a good day. Besided being incredibly delicious simply sliced thin and sauteed in a little olive oil, they make the most dreamy soup. This recipe really couldn’t get much easier as far as soups go and the flavor is completely unique. They’re slightly nutty, savory with a hint of sweet, and in a pureed soup, the texture is best described as “velvety”.
You may have heard of the prebiotic benefit of sunchoke and this is due to their inulin content (also found in garlic). Inulin is a source of food for beneficial probiotic organisms in your body. Consuming prebiotics may be an easier way to increase the probiotic organisms in your body than taking probiotic supplements, because you don’t have to worry about them surviving the digestive process like you would with probiotics. A study published in the “British Journal of Nutrition” in 2010 found that drinking fruit and vegetable juice shots that contained inulin from sunchokes increased the amount of certain types of probiotic bacteria in the body.
Creamy Sunchoke Soup
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
generous pinch sea salt
1 pound sunchokes, roughly chopped (skin on is okay!)
4 cups organic vegetable broth or chicken broth
Directions:
In a medium stockpot, heat 2 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion, garlic, and sea salt. Saute until onions are softened and translucent, stirring frequently to prevent garlic from burning.
Add chopped sunchoked and saute additional 2-3 minutes.
Add vegetable broth or chicken broth, bring to a low rolling boil, then reduce to a simmer for approx. 15 minutes until sunchokes are fork tender.
Carefully transfer to a blender or use your immersion blender to puree the soup. Serve warm with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of chives, and grind of fresh cracked pepper.
