Sunchokes

Season: Fall-Winter
Storage: Store in a plastic bag or closed container in the fridge, with the vegetables wrapped in paper towels or a napkin, for up to 10 days. Scrub well before consuming
Alternate names: Jerusalem artichokes, sunroot, earth apple

Fun Fact: These delicious root vegetables that look similar to ginger root and have a nutty flavor and texture that is reminiscent of potatoes and artichoke hearts. They are rich in inulin, a dietary fiber that can be difficult to digest – hence, they are best eaten cooked and not raw. They can be steamed, boiled, roasted and pickled. Sunchokes have gained in popularity in recent years and you’ll often see them at your trendy local restaurants when in season.

Get local sunchoke by joining our Farm Share or shopping at farmer’s markets, then share your favorite preparations through our Facebook page.

Sunchoke and Garlic Soup

Recipe from thekitchn

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup fruity olive oil

  • 1 pound sunchokes (also called Jerusalem artichokes), scrubbed and chopped

  • 2 small waxy potatoes (such as Yukon Gold, red or new potatoes), scrubbed and chopped

  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

  • 3 to 5 cloves garlic, chopped

  • Pinch dried chili flakes

  • 6 cups water, vegeable stock, or chicken stock

  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large soup pot over high.

  • Add the sunchokes, potatoes, and onion. Sauté about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  • Add the garlic and optional chili flakes, and continue cooking until the vegetables are lightly browned.

  • Add the water or stock, the bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat to low.

  • When soup settles into a simmer, cover and cook until the potatoes and sunchokes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

  • Remove the bay leaves and then process the soup either with an immersion blender, or in a blender in small batches (filling no more than a third of the container), until smooth.

  • Check for seasoning. Add salt and pepper, as desired.

  • Garnish and serve.

Zesty Carrot Sunchoke Soup

Recipe from community member Connie Lacobie

Ingredients

  • One pound of sunchokes, scrubbed and washed well, and diced to small pieces

  • One pound carrot with stem & leaves, roots peeled, leaves separated and washed. Roots diced to small pieces, leaves and stems chopped finely.

  • One onion, diced

  • One head garlic, peeled, chopped finely

  • 4 oz ginger roots, chopped finely

  • 2 quarts vegetarian stock

  • 1 quart water

  • 2 tsp salt

  • 2 Tbsp ghee or coconut oil

  • One can of coconut milk

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  • In a 6 quart size soup pan, pour in water, vegetarian stock. Bring to boil, turn to medium.
  • Add diced carrot root, cover and cook on medium heat until soft.
  • In a skillet, high heat, add ghee, sauté ginger, garlic and onion until golden color.
  • Add sunchokes, turn to medium heat and stir fry all together for 3 minutes.
  • Toss all mixtures from the skillet to carrot root soup base, cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
  • Uncover, remove from heat, purée everything in the soup pot, bring back to simmer.
  • In the same skillet just used, add 1 Tbsp of olive oil, medium heat, sauté carrot stem and leaves slightly, add coconut milk and salt , stir until slightly bubbling.
  • Transfer coconut mixture to the main soup.
  • Remove the bay leaves then process the soup either with an immersion blender, or in a blender in small batches (filling no more than a third of the container), until smooth.
  • Check for seasoning. Add salt and pepper, as desired.
    Garnish and serve.

Crispy Pancakes

Recipe from The Culinary Exchange

Ingredients

  • 1 lb of sunchokes (aka jerusalem artichokes)

  • 1 medium shallot or small sweet onion

  • 2 eggs

  • 1/3 cup of flour

  • 1tsp of baking powder

  • 3/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese

  • Salt and Pepper

  • Butter or Olive Oil

  • Sour cream or apple sauce for service

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 200F.
    Wash the sunchokes, peeling optional.

  • Using a box grater or food processor, grate the sunchokes using the finer side of the grater. If using a box grater, grate and hold the chokes in some acidulated water to help slow the browning that will occur after cutting into them.

  • Transfer the grated sunchokes to a large bowl. (Drain and dry if stored in acidulated water.) Add the eggs immediately, stirring them in until the eggs are fully incorporated.

  • In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and cheese.
    Stir the flour mixture into the grated sunchokes. Season with salt and pepper.

  • In a large sautee pan, melt 3 tbsp of butter or heat 3 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat.

  • When the fat is hot, add heaping tablespoons of the sunchoke mixture and flatten/shape it into a pancake. Cook the first side 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Flip the pancakes and continue cooking until the other side is golden brown and the pancake is cooked through, another 4-5 minutes.

  • Remove the pancakes to a wire rack with a few sheets of paper towel underneath. After a minute or 2, transfer the pancakes to a baking tray and place the tray in the oven to keep them hot.
    Continue making pancakes until all the mix is used.
    Serve hot with sour cream or apple sauce.

SUPPORT LOCAL  

Join Plant It Forward as we forge a new American farming tradition

Farm Share
DONATE NOW
Share your recipe on Facebook