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.
Sunchoke Soup with Fennel
A beautiful winter/spring soup that uses the subtle flavor of sunchokes paired with fennel and potatoes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 pound sunchokes
- 1 pound Russet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium shallot (diced)
- ¼ pound fennel bulb (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cream
- Fennel fronds (for topping)
- Cream (for topping)
- Black Pepper (for topping)
Instructions
- Juice half a lemon and set the juice aside. Place extra lemon juice and the squeezed lemon half in a bowl with water. Peel and cube the sunchokes. Place in a bowl with the lemon water. Peel and cube the potatoes, set aside.
- Heat a stock pot over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil followed by the shallots and fennel. Cook until both are translucent and fragrant, 5 to 6 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and cook for another minute or two.
- Stir in the sunchokes and potatoes followed by the water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until potatoes and sunchokes are tender, 10 minutes or so. Stir in the lemon juice.
- Carefully transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Add more water as needed to reach a soup consistency you like. Transfer the soup back to the pot and heat until warm. Add the cream right before serving.
- Divide the soup into two bowls and add a drizzle of cream and top with chopped fennel fronds and fresh cracked black pepper.
Notes
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.
Nutrition
- Calories: 328
- Sugar: 14.9
- Sodium: 188.5
- Fat: 14.6
- Carbohydrates: 46.7
- Fiber: 4.7
- Protein: 6.2
- Cholesterol: 40.8
Sunchoke Soup
variations
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.
Explore Fennel
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
Izzy Bruning says
This looks amazing!
Izzy | Pinch of delight
Laura says
I have tried it this weekend for my family gathering, it was delicious and everybody loved it, Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Lucie says
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.
★★★★★
Kayla K says
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.