When the first signs of spring start to show, I notice it in my cooking first. The flavors I use tend to brighten and recipes have an overall fresh feel. This sunchoke soup is the perfect example. The mild, earthy flavor of the sunchoke blends well with the punch of fennel and high note from the lemon. Pureed together, these three items become a perfectly creamy soup for a just-warm spring day.
A beautiful winter/spring soup that uses the subtle flavor of sunchokes paired with fennel and potatoes.
Tips & Tricks: You could replace all or part of the water with vegetable broth- I just like the flavor to be better without the broth (and the color stays beautiful!)
Stock up: get the pantry ingredients you will need: sunchokes, fennel, cream
Nutrition: see the information.
It's rare that I deviate too far from this recipe- it's more about different toppings like adding a swirl of pesto or a sprinkle of toasted nuts.
Sweet Potatoes: Use peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in place of the russet potatoes. The soup color won't be the same but the flavor of the sweet potatoes is nice with the sunchokes and fennel.
Parsley Pesto: If you're looking for more of an herby punch, make a pesto using parsley/lemon and drizzle over the soup before serving.
Hazelnuts: Another lovely topping: toast and chop hazelnuts before serving.
Fennel is such a unique plant. The bulb, stalks, fronds, and seeds all have a place in my cooking. The bulbs flavor is creamy and mild, perfect for eating raw or roasted while the seeds can pack quite the punch in spices mixes. Look for fennel that still has the stalks and fronds attached- it's a two for one deal!
Spinach Fennel Pizza
Spring Panzanella with Peas and Fennel
Cherry Salad with Quinoa and Fennel
This looks amazing!
Izzy | Pinch of delight
I have tried it this weekend for my family gathering, it was delicious and everybody loved it, Thanks for sharing.
Very tasty, velvety soup. And you are right about no need to use broth, it was so flavorful just using water. I added small amount of nutmeg. Thank you, love your recipes.
Just made it today and loved it! Perfect rainy Sacramento weather for a night in with soup. One thing I was unsure about... the 2 c. of water, was that supposed to be the lemon water that the sunchokes were soaked in? Or a fresh 2 c.? I used fresh water and dumped the lemon water because I wasn't sure. Thanks.