Sunchoke Soup

Sunchoke Soup garnished with fresh ground black pepper, chives, and toasted pine nuts.

I was shopping when I saw the sunchokes, which I’d never made. Whenever I see something new in the produce section, I buy it. Doing this keeps our microbiome diverse, as we eat a wide variety of vegetables from different farms where the nutritional and bacteria profile is different for each, ensuring that we are well-nourished.

I once had a pureed sunchoke and potato soup in a restaurant that I enjoyed so I decided to make something similar. Pureed soups are very easy and follow a basic recipe like: Throw the veggies in a pot with broth or water and cook until tender. Ladle veggies into the food processor and some of the water or broth, or you can also add in any kind of milk here to make it creamy, and puree it all together adding more liquid until you have your desired consistency. Add salt and spice to taste. Garnish with seasonings, hemp hearts, chives, etc. Get creative!

Pureed soups are so very easy to make and that formula is exactly what I did in the recipe below. Pureed soups are a staple in our house because they are simple, delicious, and nutritious. In fact, I've shared Classic Potato Leak Soup, Silky Smooth Butternut Squash Soup, and Easy Creamy "Cheesy" Vegan Soup, all of which are pureed in this manner.

Sunchoke Soup Recipe

20-30 minutes, 4 servings

Ingredients

• 6 oz sunchoke (about the size of a large onion), peeled & cut into large chunks*

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into halves

• 1 onion, peeled and quartered

• 3-4 yellow potatoes, quartered*

• 4 cups /1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

Directions

1. Put all ingredients into a large pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to summer and cook for 10-15 minutes, until potato is easily pierced with a knife.

2. Let cool, then ladle into a food processor and puree until smooth & creamy.

3. Add salt & pepper according to taste. If it tastes bland, definitely add salt and mix it in by hitting puree again.

4. Reheat and serve.

Notes

• When peeling the sunchoke, there is no need to be anal and get into all the nooks & crannies. Just get *most* of the peel off.

• No need to peel the yellow potato as the skins are thin, but you can peel them if you want.

• You could add in spices like curry powder, or different seasoning blends like herbs de provence. I personally like simpler flavors with this.