This creamy, velvety Jerusalem Artichoke Soup recipe is my favorite way to use up seasonal sunchokes. It’s made with simple pantry ingredients and can be made in under 40 minutes. A rich and tasty winter warmer.
Jerusalem artichoke soup is the stuff of dreams. Trust me.
It's not only easy to make but tastes absolutely divine and is a perfect winter warmer.
This Jerusalm artichoke soup recipe is rich and velvety. It's restaurant-quality with a deep flavor, luscious creaminess and elegant richness.
Whenever Jerusalem artichokes are in season, I love stocking up on them.
Because you can't always them year-round usually, I dream of this creamy sunchoke soup all summer until I can finally get my hands on them at their prime in the winter months.
Although you can eat them raw or cooked, peeled or unpeeled, mine are almost always destined for this soup recipe. Sure, they're lovely in gratin and can be treated like potatoes.
But they really shine in this pureed blender soup.
What are Jerusalem artichokes?
Jerusalem artichokes, also known as sunchokes, are in the tuber family and often look like large knobs of root ginger. They're very different to globe artichokes and are actually part of the sunflower family.
They taste a bit nutty, but also starchy and are often described as tasting like an artichoke crossed with a potato.
If you’re wondering what to make with Jerusalem artichokes, this easy soup recipe will fit the bill!
You can also cook them like potatoes: roasted, sauteed etc...
Why You'll Love This Recipe
You’ll get to try a vegetable that is underutilized but robust and delicious.
This cream of sunchoke soup can be made in an hour or less from start to finish.
You can add your favorite seasonings and spices.
It can be frozen for later eating.
Made with pantry staples.
A great dinner to serve in the Fall and Winter months.
A more simplified, but just as tasty, version of cream of Jerusalem Artichoke Soup than the Ottolenghi or Jamie Oliver recipes, with no hard-to-find ingredients.
Ingredients & Tools
Jerusalem Artichokes - Aka sunchokes. You can find these at grocery stores or at your local farmers market. They need to be peeled and chopped for this recipe. My ones photographed above aren't that knobbly, but sometimes they can be. A vegetable peeler is the easiest way to peel them. If you can't get all the peel off, don't worry, it's edible.
Butter or Oil - This will help brown up the Jerusalem artichokes as they are being sauteed in a skillet. Butter yeilds richer results but go for oil if you're making this dairy-free.
Onion & Garlic - These both add a classic layer of flavor that pairs well with the nuttiness of the sunchokes.
Vegetable Stock - This is the liquid base of the soup and will add layers of flavor that come from the many different vegetables.
Milk - This will make the soup creamy and velvety which gives it a wonderful silky texture. Use dairy-free milk if required.
Fresh Rosemary - Adds a great herbed flavor that compliments any vegetable soup well. It's optional but absolutely lovely in the soup.
How to make Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
Follow this step by step photo tutorial, then scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and method.
Peel the Jerusalem Artichokes. They can be quite knobbly, so don't worry if you can't get it all off.
Slice the sunchokes and chop the onion.
Heat the butter or oil in a large pan over a medium heat.
Add the onions and Jerusalem artichokes and cook, stirring often, until it all begins to brown and caramelise - about 15 minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute.
Remove a few tablespoons of the browned jerusalem artichokes and onion to reserve as a garnish, if desired. I love adding soup toppers like this for extra texture and to look pretty.
Add the vegetable stock and milk to the onions and artichokes.
Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the rosemary and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
Remove the rosemary and puree the soup in a blender (don’t overfill, you may need to do it in batches) or with a hand held stick blender. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.
Pour the creamy Jerusalem artichoke soup into bowls, top with the reserved sunchokes to garnish and serve warm.
Tips
Make sure the jerusalem artichoke pieces are cut roughly the same size so they all cook evenly at once.
Vegetable stock/broth can be salty, so you may not need to add salt when seasoning the soup.
Be sure to add the garlic later in the recipe as written to prevent from burning.
For a thicker soup, add slightly less vegetable broth.
Serving Suggestions
Pair your sunchoke soup with this Grilled Halloumi Sandwich for a tasty soup and sandwich lunch.
Perfect with a slice of this Naan Bread.
Goes great with a side of crunchy Green Salad with pumpkin seed dressing.
A great starter /appetizer with a hearty dinner of Stuffed Butternut Squash.
Variations
Add a splash of truffle oil for an extra decadent flavor.
Use a mix of your favorite herbs to flavor the soup in addition to rosemary and take out before blending. Tip: you can wrap the herbs in a small piece of muslin/cheesecloth before adding to the soup, to make it all easier to remove.
Add a little swirl of extra virgin olive oil and cream before serving.
In place of the milk, use your favorite plant-based milk.
Use Vegan Chicken Broth instead of the vegetable stock.
Spice it up with some cayenne pepper to your liking.
Top it with a grating of parmesan cheese or a sprinkle of Vegan Parmesan Cheese for a salty bite.
Special diets
To Make Gluten-Free: This recipe contains ingredients that are naturally gluten free but make sure you check your labels on your seasonings and spices.
To Make It Vegan: To make this recipe vegan, make sure you are using plant-based oil or vegan butter and swap out the dairy milk for vegan milk. Ensure your vegetable stock is vegan too (most of it is, but check the label).
Storage
Storing: Once cooled, this soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Freeze the completely cooled soup in a freezer-safe airtight container or ziploc bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight before reheating.
FAQs
Do I need to peel Jerusalem artichokes before cooking? No. The peel of Jerusalem artichokes is perfectly edible, but you'll need to scrub them well as the knobbly texture could hold dirt or sand. For this soup I remove it for a smooth finish, but if you can't get it all off (due to the knobbly texture) then that's fine as it's edible.
What else can I do with Jerusalem artichokes? Shave them raw to use in a salad or slaw or roast them with your favorite vegetables. You can treat them like potatoes (think gratin, roasted etc...) but they'll cook a little faster than potatoes.
Are Jerusalem artichokes healthy? Yes! They contain iron, potassium and a healthy prebiotic fiber known as inulin. They also have a lower GI (glycemic index) than potatoes and are low in fat. Find out more about the health benefits of Jerusalem artichokes.
When are Jerusalem artichokes in season? Jerusalem artichokes are winter produce that are in season from October to March, but they're at their peak from November to February.
How do I store Jerusalem artichokes? Keep them in the fridge for. up to 2 weeks, depending on how fresh they are when you get them home.
More soup recipes
I hope that you'll love this sunchoke soup recipe as much as we do! Be sure to try these other soup recipes too.
- Kale Soup
- Easy Lentil Soup
- Quick Tomato Soup (with fresh or canned tomatoes)
- Four ingredient creamy Pea Soup
- Mexican Bean Soup
- Beetroot Soup
- Zucchini Soup
And be sure to check out my roundup of 25+ Delicious Vegan Soup Recipes.
Get the recipe
Creamy Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil
- 14 oz (400g) jerusalem artichokes (aka sunchokes) peeled and sliced
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 4 cups (1litre) vegetable stock
- 1 cup (250ml) milk or vegan milk
- Sprig of rosemary
Instructions
- Peel and chop the onion, and peel and slice the sunchokes.
- Heat the butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onions, jerusalem artichokes and cook, stirring often, until it all begins to brown and caramelise - about 15 minutes.
- Remove a few tablespoons of the browned jerusalem artichokes and onion to reserve as a garnish, if desired.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for a further minute, then add the vegetable stock and milk. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the rosemary and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Skim off any froth that forms on the surface.
- Remove the rosemary and puree the soup in a blender (don’t overfill, you may need to do it in batches) or with a hand held stick blender.
- Divide into bowls and top with the reserved browned Jerusalem artichokes and a pinch of pepper.
Recipe Tips
Add a splash of truffle oil for an extra decadent flavor. Use a mix of your favorite herbs to flavor the soup in addition to rosemary and take out before blending. Tip: you can wrap the herbs in a small piece of muslin/cheesecloth before adding to the soup, to make it all easier to remove. Add a little swirl of extra virgin olive oil and cream before serving. In place of the milk, use your favorite plant-based milk. Use Vegan Chicken Broth instead of the vegetable stock. Spice it up with some cayenne pepper to your liking. Top it with a grating of parmesan cheese or a sprinkle of Vegan Parmesan Cheese for a salty bite.
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