Jerusalem Artichoke Soup With Pumpernickel Croutons Recipes

Steps:

• I brought a handful of Jerusalem Artichokes home from the market, washed and roasted them (skin and all) in the oven with a simple drizzle of olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. I cooked them all the way through as I would a baked potato. I tried roasting them a second time replacing the olive oil with hazelnut oil for even tastier results. Now, the vegetable risks to take over my produce life as I know it! I cut some into thin rounds, fried them and sprinkled them over an arugula salad. Delicious. I thought I had reached my peak with these preparations until I tasted this soup...The combination of roasting and stewing them yields a complex flavor.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place 1/2 the Jerusalem artichokes on a baking sheet. Drizzle them with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the tray in the center of the oven and cook until they are completely yielding when pierced with the tip of a knife, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, slice the rest of the Jerusalem artichokes in 1/2-inch thick slices. Heat a medium pot and add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the thyme and the Jerusalem artichokes slices and stir to blend the ingredients. Check the seasoning. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes and add 4 cups water.
• Cook until the Jerusalem artichokes are completely tender, 25 to 30 minutes. If the liquid reduces too much during this cooking time, add the remaining 1 cup water. Remove the roasted ones from the oven, quarter them and add them directly to the soup mixture. Taste for seasoning.
• Remove the thyme from the pot. Add the cream. Puree the soup in small batches in the blender (or a hand blender) until smooth. For a more "rustic" texture, puree only 1/2 and leaving the other 1/2 "chunky." Serve with crusty sourdough or a seeded bread to bring out the naturally nutty flavor of the soup.
• Serving suggestion: Crusty sourdough bread or seeded bread.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Toast bread in a shallow baking pan in middle of oven, stirring once or twice, until crisp, about 7 minutes.
• Peel artichokes with a vegetable peeler and cut into 1-inch pieces, then simmer in milk and water in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, partially covered (be careful not to let it boil over), stirring occasionally, until artichokes are very tender, about 15 minutes.
• Purée artichokes with cooking liquid, salt, and pepper in 2 batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Transfer purée to same saucepan and thin with additional water if necessary. Heat soup over moderate heat, stirring, until hot. Serve topped with croutons and parsley.

Steps:

• Trim regular artichokes:
• Squeeze juice from 1 lemon half into a large bowl of water, then drop same half into water.
• Cut off stem of 1 artichoke, then trim 1/4 inch from end of stem to expose inner core. Trim sides of stem down to pale inner core, then rub with other lemon half. Drop stem into acidulated water.
• Cut off top inch of same artichoke with a serrated knife. Bend back outer leaves until they snap off close to base, then discard several more layers of leaves in same manner until you reach pale yellow leaves with pale green tips. Cut off green tips.
• Trim dark green fibrous parts from base and sides of artichoke with a sharp paring knife, then rub cut surfaces with lemon half.
• Cut artichoke into 8 wedges, then cut out fuzzy choke and purple leaves with paring knife. Rub all cut surfaces with lemon half, then drop artichoke into acidulated water. 3Prepare remaining artichokes in same manner.
• Trim Jerusalem artichokes:
• Peel Jerusalem artichokes with a sharp paring knife and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
• Prepare soup:
• Cook Jerusalem artichokes, onion, and garlic in butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Drain regular artichokes and add to pot along with salt. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until Jerusalem artichokes are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add wine and boil, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add broth and simmer, covered, until vegetables are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Purée soup in batches in a blender until very smooth, about 2 minutes (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return soup to pot and stir in cream and pepper to taste. Reheat soup, stirring.

Steps:

• Bring 8 cups broth to boil in large saucepan. Peel Jerusalem artichokes and cut into 1/3-inch thick pieces. Add to broth. Add potatoes, leeks, garlic, savory and ginger. Cover pan and simmer until vegetables are very soft, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in marjoram; cool about 20 minutes.
• Working in batches, purée soup in blender until smooth. Return to same saucepan. Bring soup to simmer. Add cream. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors, thinning with more chicken broth if soup is too thick. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm soup over medium-low heat before continuing.) Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle with green onion and serve.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the leek and onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the Jerusalem artichokes, water and salt and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat, cover and simmer until the artichokes are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and let cool. Transfer the mixture to a blender and process until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Gently reheat before serving.
• To crisp the sage leaves, heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and sauté until just crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Garnish each serving with a couple of the sage leaves.