sunchoke soup with toasted pumpkin seeds
I may be getting into homemade soup these days, now that autumn is in full swing and now that this recipe has won me over. It’s the most velvety smooth soup I’ve made in awhile. I think it looks fancy and tastes expensive (John’s palate puts a flattering but outrageous $10 price tag on it), but is good and unfussy enough for everyday dinners (using an immersion blender helps). You can make a big batch and save the rest for later. My favorite-smelling part of the whole process occurs at the beginning, when leeks, onions, and garlic cook in butter. I modified the recipe a bit by using milk instead of cream (and more of it) and adding a few squeezes of lemon juice.
Sunchokes, by the way, are also called Jerusalem artichokes. Guess what: they’re not from Jerusalem and they’re not even artichokes. The sunchoke is a sunflower tuber whose Italian name (Girasole) sounds like “Jerusalem” and whose taste resembles that of the artichoke. I found mine at the farmers’ market for a few bucks a pound.
And finally, a warning: sunchokes may give you (rather horrible smelling) intestinal gas. Plan accordingly.
