I picked up a huge cauliflower last weekend because it was on the shopping list for the Indian Cooking Masterclass I did with fellow Academy of Culinary Nutrition alumni Geeta Sakhuja. The cauliflower was for aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower). The entire meal was sooooo delicious! But I had a lot of cauliflower left, and our stock of homemade soup in the freezer is in the red zone, so I decided the cauliflower was to become soup. Sunchokes have a rich, nutty sweetness and the texture of creamy potatoes when they’re roasted, so I decide to add them too. These two vegetables roasted and combined make for a sweet and mellow Roasted Cauliflower and Sunchoke Soup, perfect for a brisk fall or winter day.
If you know me, you know that I love homemade soups. I especially love the complex flavours of roasted vegetables in soups, like Roasted Garlic, Cauliflower and Bean Soup, Roasted Celeriac and Apple Soup, and Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Caramelized Onions. So why not add roasted cauliflower and sunchokes to that list?
Cauliflower and sunchokes make a winning combination. These two co-stars shine equally bright in this thick and delicious roasted soup. While everyone is familiar with cauliflower, sunchokes may be a new kid in town for some. Sunchokes are also called Jerusalem artichokes, sunroot or earth apple. They are a tuber, and one of my favourite root vegetables to roast. They kind of look like ginger root, although the sunchokes I buy from my local farmers Courtney and Adam at Olde Furrow Farm have a gorgeous burgundy skin color with the same off-white flesh.
Health benefits of sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes)
- Sunchokes are intestinal superstars. They are a wonderful source of nondigestible soluble fiber called inulin. Inulin contains fructans which feed the healthy gut bacteria to them proliferate and keep out harmful bacteria.
- As a soluble fiber, inulin creates bulk in the stool and helps with regular bowel function.
- Studies have shown that inulin helps to reduce the risk of colon cancer.
- The consumption of sunchokes improves blood lipids to help prevent cardiovascular disease. Inulin also improves blood sugar regulation, especially in those with prediabetes.
- Sunchokes contain 20% of the daily recommended intake of iron, which is essential for the immune system.
- Sunchokes are a good source of potassium. Increasing dietary potassium, along with reducing sodium, is beneficial in management of blood pressure.
Sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes)
So, the next time you’re visiting or ordering from your local farmers market, include sunchokes and cauliflower in your basket and make yourself a pot of soul warming Roasted Cauliflower and Sunchoke Soup. Be sure to tag me on Facebook or Instagram so I can see your Roasted Cauliflower and Sunchoke Soup.
Roasted Cauliflower and Sunchoke Soup
Ingredients
- 4 cups cauliflower florets
- 4 cups sunchokes cut in half (about 1lb)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- ¼ tsp salt omit if vegetable stock contains salt
- 1 onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- Pepper to taste
- 1-2 cups water, as needed to thin out soup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss cauliflower florets and sunchokes in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt if adding. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until vegetables are fork tender.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large saucepan. Add diced onion and sauté until onion becomes translucent, about five minutes. Add garlic and sauté an additional 2 minutes.
- Add roasted vegetables and vegetable stock to the saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Blend the soup in two batches in a blender, being cautious to avoid hot soup splashing.
- Return soup to pot. Add lemon juice, thyme and pepper and stir. Simmer for 5 minutes.
