It is a horrible day out there…lashings of rain, thunder and even tornadoes up the Kapiti coast to the north of Wellington. As we move into June, the weather has reminded us that winter is here. It was definitely a day for a warming bowl of soup, and with perfect timing, I had bought a load of Jerusalem artichokes. These gnarly roots make a lovely fresh soup and one of Karl’s favourites. This root vegetable is related to the sunflower rather than the artichoke, and the name also has nothing to do with Jerusalem, derived instead from the Italian word for sunflower, girasole.
The recipe I use comes from The Hairy Bikers and could not be simpler, the hardest part being peeling the Jerusalem artichokes themselves. It is a really tasty soup, with a subtle hint of garlic underneath the fresh flavour of the Jerusalem artichokes themselves. The recipe suggests a bacon and crouton topping. You could obviously miss out the bacon if you wanted, though the saltiness goes well with the slightly sweet undertones of the soup.
We had one of the lovely breads I bought on Sunday – a balsamic roasted onion and parmesan focaccia from Kapiti Artisan Bakehouse – on the side. All in all, a perfect warming dish to end the day and start the evening.
Footnote: A word of warning….Jerusalem artichokes are known for their flatulent side effects when eaten in large quantities.
Entered in the What’s on Your Plate blog challenge hosted this month by Widow Badass on her own while Donna of Retirement Reflections goes walking on Prince Edward Island.
Also entered in Natalie the Explorer’s Weekend Coffee Share.
You can find Thistles and Kiwis on Facebook, and also on Instagram @thistlesandkiwis. As for Twitter….am totally inactive these days. If you want to get in touch, email me on thistlesandkiwis@gmail.com
Thistles and Kiwis 
Your soup looks lovely. I’ve given up growing (and eating) these artichokes – not for the obvious reason 😀 I hope you enjoyed it, and the bread.
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🙂
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I’ve not seen Jerusalem artichokes for sale here, although they are probably available in larger centres. Your soup conjures up a really cosy evening 🙂
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It was a very cosy evening….with the rain lashing down outside…
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I’ve never tried Jerusalem artichokes but I’ve heard they are easy to grow. Easy as in once they are in your garden, you are never getting rid of them…like mint or rhubarb. I may have to try some, and then add them to my future garden, that already contains mint and rhubarb…LOL! Your soup looks delicious.
Deb
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I don’t have space for Jerusalem artichokes, but might suggest to a friend she grows them 🙂 Oh she likes them too.
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I hope your weather improves. We’re lucky so far this Jubilee Bank Holiday. Wonderful photos… I’m getting quite hungry now! 🙂
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It is still raining 😦
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Lovely writing. I appreciate how you set the scene (lashing rain!), folded in a bit of etymology, and found textures (the hint of garlic). Yum.
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I’ve not eaten Jerusalem artichokes either but your soup looks perfect for the weather. We’re travelled up north and I have to say the weather is so lovely and warm compared to back at home where it’s cold and snowy! Hope it’s stopped raining by now.
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It really was perfect for the rainy day. So longing to go somewhere warm and sunny! It has finally stopped raining…for now at least.
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Your soup looks delicious. The focacia bread sounds irresistible, too. Thank you for your weekend coffee share.
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Hi T&K,
Somehow – I’d never heard of Jerusalem Artichokes / Sunchokes but may have found a store nearby that sells them. They sound like our kind of veggie. Thanks for this post. I’m looking forward to trying them out.
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They are really good – a winter vegetable that you can roast along with other roots too.
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I’ve seen Jerusalem artichokes at grocery, but I never know what to do with them. This creamy soup is something I would make when it’s winter in this part of the world :-).
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It is really good – worth trying!
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Again, I am confronted by an intriguing vegetable in your space … I had a poke around google and it says I can use jicama as a substitute, so I have some idea of what the flavour and texture might be; imagination will just have to take me the rest of the way!
The soup looks delicious! and I chuckled at your warning: “Jerusalem artichokes are known for their flatulent side effects when eaten in large quantities.”
P/S I toasted my butternut squash seeds and had it with the soup – superb! Loving Husband was amazed at how clever I was … I gave credit to you!
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I had to google jicama…that is the fun of the blogosphere – discovering new things all the time! The soup is good and just a little bit different. So glad you enjoyed the toasted butternut squash seeds 🙂
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Your plate looks really good. Yum!!! Also, I’m reading a book set in England they were talking about “lashings of rain”. I had never heard that before. I’m catching up on last weeks posts before joining in on this weeks…and I still need to write my post. Lol.
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The soup is a favourite in our house.
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