Well, the snow came and went here in NYC, and now it’s coming again so I thought I’d cook up a huge batch of soup to last through the week. I’ve been wanting to experiment with sunchokes (or Jerusalem artichokes) for a while now, and luckily they’ve been plentiful at my neighborhood Whole Foods all winter. Sunchokes are kind of amazing actually. Aside from Chicory Root, they contain the highest amount of Prebiotic fiber of any other food. Everybody is more or less familiar with what Probiotics are. The “good” bacteria in your gut that with more and more research is being found to play a key roll in the over all health of our immune systems (not just the digestive system). Prebiotics are basically indigestible fiber that acts as a support system for Probiotics to thrive and do there thing. Food for your gut flora would be more accurate I guess. Such a strange concept, no? consciously trying to feed and grow bacteria in your stomach, but it’s so important! And if you’re already taking a Probiotic supplement (as you should, IMO) make sure you’re not wasting you’re money, add prebiotics to your diet! You can buy Prebiotic fiber supplements, but eating what nature gave us is best of course.
This recipe came out so light and lovely. I wanted it to be warm and filling while still being clean and detoxifying. It’s Paleo, Gluten Free, Vegan and AIP friendly (by omitting the almond milk).
Roasted Sunchoke & Fennel Soup 4-6 servings
- 1 lb. sunchokes
- 1 head Fennel Root (or Leeks actually, now that I think about it! higher Prebiotic content!)
- 1 bag frozen cauliflower or 2 cups fresh
- olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion
- sea salt + pepper
- 32 oz. organic veggie or chicken stock
- 1 cup almond milk (optional)
- chili flakes, tarragon, Greek yogurt for garnishing (optional)
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and wash, scrub, peel, and cube your sunchokes. This is kinda tedious so if you have a small child to do this, put them to work (that’s what they’re there for) Joking!
slice the fennel up roughly and place everything on a baking sheet. Douse with olive oil, salt and pepper and give everything a good toss. Stick in the over for about a 1/2 hour or until the veg is nice and golden brown. In the meantime, dice up your onion and garlic. saute the onion in about 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat in a soup pot, until translucent. Add your garlic and cook for another few minutes and then the cauliflower + stock. Bringing to a boil.
Reduce heat and add the sunchokes and fennel last. Simmer for about 45 minutes until the cauliflower is fully tender and cooked. Transfer everything to a blender in stages, blending with almond milk if desired, for a creamier soup. Use water or stock if not. Once you have a velvety smooth consistency, garnish with some chili flakes, tarragon and Greek yogurt (omit for AIP diet of course).
I purposely didn’t heavily season this soup (as is usually my nature) and I’m glad. The nutty taste of the roasted sunchokes really shines through and I’m pleased it’s not muddled down by all sorts of seasoning.
Still a bit more winter to go. Stay warm out there!
