Nourishing Jerusalem Artichoke & Carrot Soup

Jerusalem Artichoke & Carrot Soup - dairy-free, paleo, gluten-free, vegan friendly

Today’s soup is a marvellous fusion of two nutritious root vegetables – Jerusalem artichokes and carrots. It’s the more sophisticated sibling of the pumpkin soup – nutty and savoury with a more complex flavour.  Great in summer and winter, this soup is a perfect light meal in itself or can be served as a dish in a two-course dinner. Make a large batch and freeze for those cold, lazy nights, or when you need a little cleanse.

What is Jerusalem artichoke?

jerusalem-artichoke-recipes

Jerusalem artichoke is also known as sunchoke or sunroot, and it looks like a large ginger or turmeric root. It’s actually a type of sunflower, which is called girasole in Italian and sounds similar to Jerusalem. Other than that, this plant doesn’t have much to do with Jerusalem the city…or the Globe artichokes.

Behind the lumpy and brownish skin, the artichoke flesh is crunchy, a little sweet and nutty – similar to parsnips. You can peel and cook the artichokes in a similar way to white potatoes and parsnips – sauté, boil and mash, or roast – or you can eat them raw. Some people find them easier to peel once boiled.

It’s usually in season between November and March but can be found outside of those months as well. Store Jerusalem artichoke in a cool, dark place for up to 10 days. You can replace it with white potatoes, parsnips, salsify or pumpkin.

What’s good about this soup?

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Jerusalem artichoke is high in thiamin (B1 vitamin), which is involved in carbohydrate metabolism and is needed for proper functioning of the nervous system and the muscles. It’s also high in iron (100 grams of raw Jerusalem artichokes provides almost a fifth of the RDI for iron), and potassium (more than bananas) that is essential for good health, heart and muscle function.

Together with chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke is one of the highest sources of prebiotics. Prebiotics are a specialised plant fibre that nourishes and promotes the growth of the good bacteria in the large bowel or colon. These good bacteria have many digestive and general health benefits. Cooking doesn’t destroy the prebiotics found in artichokes. Garlic and onion used in this recipe are also excellent sources of prebiotics.

Read more about the best foods for gut health here.

Even though Jerusalem artichoke is a starchy tuber, its glycemic index is on a lower side, making it an excellent carbohydrate choice.

Carrots are high in beta carotene and other phytonutrients, while the healthy fat of coconut oil and coconut cream helps with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins found in the vegetables.

Cook’s notes: If you can’t find Jerusalem artichokes, make this soup with extra carrots and parsnip or swede/rutabaga tubers. Mushrooms are also lovely in this soup.

Jerusalem Artichoke & Carrot Soup - dairy-free, paleo, gluten-free, vegan friendly

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Nourishing Jerusalem Artichoke & Carrot Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Author: Irena Macri
Servings: 2
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Paleo
Print Pin Save
5 from 2 votes
Calories: 471kcal
Today’s soup is a marvellous fusion of two nutritious root vegetables – Jerusalem artichokes and carrots. It’s the more sophisticated sibling of the pumpkin soup – nutty and savoury with a more complex flavour. This soup is a perfect light meal in itself or can be served as a dish in a two-course dinner.

Ingredients 

  • 1 brown onion diced
  • 1 teaspoon ghee or coconut oil
  • 2 slices of fresh ginger diced
  • 3 medium Jerusalem artichokes peeled and diced
  • 1 large carrot peeled and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic diced
  • Zest of 1/2 lime
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce Omit or replace with miso for vegetarian
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 3 tablespoons coconut cream

For garnish

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small Jerusalem artichoke peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 small carrot peeled and thinly sliced
  • Zest of 1/2 lime

Instructions

  • Add onion and ghee or coconut oil to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened.
  • Add ginger and artichokes, and stir through. Add carrot, garlic, lime zest and stir through for a minute. Pour in the stock, fish sauce and lime juice. Bring to a boil, turn to medium-low and cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes, until vegetables have softened.
  • Transfer the soup to a blender or a food processor. Process until smooth, then add coconut cream and whiz a few times to combine.
  • Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add artichoke and carrot slices and cook for a minute and a half on each side until slightly golden. Serve soup in bowls topped with a few carrot and artichoke slices and some freshly grated lime zest.

Nutrition

Calories: 471kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 1694mg | Potassium: 1458mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 8662IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 10mg
Keywords: Carrots, Soups, Jerusalem artichoke, Vegetable Soup, Vegetarian
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Jerusalem Artichoke & Carrot Soup - dairy-free, paleo, gluten-free, vegan friendly

Irena Macri
By Irena Macri

About the author: Hi, I’m Irena Macri. I share delicious recipes that I have cooked and loved. I am a published cookbook author, have been food blogging for over 10 years and have a Diploma in Nutrition. You will find many healthy recipes as well as my favourite comfort food. More about me here | Subscribe to my newsletter and freebies

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Comments

7 Comments
  1. I was a bit sceptical about this soup but it is absolutely superb! It’s a kind of fusion between potato and leek soup and some sort of Thai soup.
    And the best thing is I get to use up all those Artichokes from the garden.

  2. Amazing! I experimented a bit and made my vegetable stock from organic basil and parsley, spiced with Harissa’s ginger and turmeric powder. It made the whole recipe spicy, sour, yet sweet. Highly recommend! 🙂

  3. 5 stars
    Soo god and different. Good for any time. Might just be my new favourite soup. Time to grow some Jerusalem artichokes.

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