Jerusalem artichoke velouté
For decades the Jerusalem artichoke was associated in France with the Second World War occupation, when it stood in, along with swede, for scarce potatoes; today it is back in bistros as a seasonal vegetable. It makes one of the most delicate cream soups: tubers sweated in butter with shallot, simmered in stock and blended with cream into a velvety soup tasting of artichoke and nuts. Toasted hazelnuts on top underline that nuttiness. Jerusalem artichokes are in season in autumn and winter, at markets, good greengrocers and health-food shops.
Your own work in that: 10 min.
- Preparation 20 min
- Sweating 10 min
- Simmering 30 min
- Blending 10 min
Step by step
0 / 8 donePeel the artichokes
Scrub the tubers under water, peel them and cut into 1 cm slices. Drop them straight into a bowl of cold water with lemon juice — they darken in the air like potatoes.
Ingredients: 800 g Jerusalem artichokes · 200 g floury potato · 2 pcs shallots · 30 g butter · 800 ml chicken or vegetable stock · 100 ml whipping cream (30%) · 1 tbsp lemon juice · 1 tsp salt · ¼ tsp white pepper · 1 pinch nutmeg
Lemon water keeps them from browning.Cut the rest
Peel and dice the potato and chop the shallots.
Ingredients: 800 g Jerusalem artichokes · 200 g floury potato · 2 pcs shallots · 30 g butter · 800 ml chicken or vegetable stock · 100 ml whipping cream (30%) · 1 tbsp lemon juice · 1 tsp salt · ¼ tsp white pepper · 1 pinch nutmeg
Sweat the vegetables
Melt the butter in a pot and sweat the shallots 3 minutes until translucent. Add the drained artichokes and potato and cook 5–6 minutes, stirring, without colouring.
Ingredients: 800 g Jerusalem artichokes · 200 g floury potato · 2 pcs shallots · 30 g butter · 800 ml chicken or vegetable stock · 100 ml whipping cream (30%) · 1 tbsp lemon juice · 1 tsp salt · ¼ tsp white pepper · 1 pinch nutmeg
Add the stock
Pour in the stock, add the salt and bring to the boil. Simmer covered for 20–25 minutes, until the artichokes are completely soft.
Ingredients: 800 g Jerusalem artichokes · 200 g floury potato · 2 pcs shallots · 30 g butter · 800 ml chicken or vegetable stock · 100 ml whipping cream (30%) · 1 tbsp lemon juice · 1 tsp salt · ¼ tsp white pepper · 1 pinch nutmeg
They should crush under a spoon.Toast the hazelnuts
Toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan for 4 minutes, then rub them in a cloth to loosen the skins. Chop roughly.
Ingredients: 30 g hazelnuts · 1 tbsp chives
Blend
Blend the soup completely smooth with a stick blender — Jerusalem artichokes are fibrous, so give it a full 2–3 minutes. For perfect silkiness, pass it through a sieve.
Ingredients: 800 g Jerusalem artichokes · 200 g floury potato · 2 pcs shallots · 30 g butter · 800 ml chicken or vegetable stock · 100 ml whipping cream (30%) · 1 tbsp lemon juice · 1 tsp salt · ¼ tsp white pepper · 1 pinch nutmeg
Longer blending gives the velvet texture.Add the cream
Pour in the cream, warm through without boiling and season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg. Loosen with a little hot water if too thick.
Ingredients: 800 g Jerusalem artichokes · 200 g floury potato · 2 pcs shallots · 30 g butter · 800 ml chicken or vegetable stock · 100 ml whipping cream (30%) · 1 tbsp lemon juice · 1 tsp salt · ¼ tsp white pepper · 1 pinch nutmeg
Serve
Ladle into bowls and scatter with toasted hazelnuts and chives. Serve at once.
Ingredients: 30 g hazelnuts · 1 tbsp chives
Before you start
Wind
Jerusalem artichokes are rich in inulin, which gives some people wind. There is no reliable way round it, so serve smaller portions the first time.
With truffle
Jerusalem artichoke and truffle is a classic French pairing: instead of nuts, finish the soup with a few drops of truffle oil. Two or three drops per bowl; more overwhelms it.
Storage
The soup without cream keeps 3 days in the fridge and freezes well for 3 months. Add the cream only after reheating.
