A new springtime recipe for you!

Once in awhile, Martin goes to the farmers market for me. To my dismay, he sometimes returns with unwanted items! A few weeks ago he came home with sunchokes and a recipe.

Hmmmmm…..while I wasn’t thrilled at first, the recipe was enticing.

So I went to work. I admit to hardly ever following recipes to the letter. So this one I changed up quite a bit. The results, if I do say myself, were delicious.

Sunchokes are not pretty. They are a humble root from the sunflower family with no great visual appeal. They have an odd, however very appealing, nutty flavor.

It is challenging to warm up to them but this recipe did it for me.

Besides…..sunchokes (also called Jerusalem artichokes), even if a bit unsightly, are oh so healthy! Packed with not only iron, potassium, thiamin, and fiber, they also contain the carbohydrate, inulin. This starchy substance has little effect on your blood sugar level and this makes it an excellent carb for diabetics and pre-diabetics. Inulin is also a prebiotic which adds gut healing benefits.

Try my springtime soup recipe and let me know what you think! (And just fyi…..they are also excellent roasted with garlic and spices.)

Springtime Sunchoke Soup

Ingredients:
1 tbsp of butter or EVOO
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
21/2 cups of sunchokes, peeled and chopped
3 cups of water or vegetable broth
1/3 cup of coconut milk
1/8 tsp turmeric*
1 tbsp of thyme
S and P
fresh parmesan cheese

Directions:
Sauté the onion in the butter or EVOO until soft. Add the garlic and chopped sunchokes and sauté another 2-3 minutes or so (careful not to let the garlic burn). Add the water or broth, thyme, turmeric, and s and p. Let it simmer on low heat for 15- 20 minutes or until sunchokes are soft. Add the coconut milk and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and purée with an immersion blender until smooth.
Serve warm with a generous sprinkle of fresh parmesan cheese.

Notes:
*The turmeric is optional. I sprinkle turmeric in almost everything! The coconut milk can be substituted for half and half if preferred. You may also substitute another type of cheese but parmesan blends well with this soup.

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Comments

A new springtime recipe for you! — 8 Comments

  1. I’ve never seen them in markets in NJ but they are in quite a few Middle Eastern recipes. Glad to know now what they look like and that they’re so healthy. Will keep looking.

  2. We tried the recipe from the farmer for the artichoke soup, using leeks instead of an onion, and low fat milk instead of coconut milk (great idea for next time!). Though the artichokes are fussy to peel, the soup has a great flavor and was satisfying with a salad for dinner on a cold winter’s night. However, we both found difficulties with digestion later that night (ie, gas!!). Any suggestions for preventing that??

    • Oh interesting, Janet! Hmmm…….. could have been the dairy combination? Maybe change it up next time. I did not have that experience. And were they fully cooked?

      • Turns out inulin is the culprit (according to Wikipedia)- it is a polysaccharide that is not digested until ii gets to the colon, where is is broken down by bacteria and can produce bloating, flatulence, etc. in some people. It is recommended to start eating the J. artichokes in small doses, and when I roasted them with potatoes we did not have problems, but a large concentrated dose in soup…..plus, leeks have inulin!!! Who knew??!! Too bad- we have a lot left over, maybe I’ll eat it a little each day!

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