Creamy Jerusalem artichoke soup

Jerusalem artichokes may not look that much but they have a lovely sweet and nutty flavour. They are high in iron, potassium and vitamin C. The plant can be invasive but if you have a part of the garden where they can be fitted in try them. The tubers are planted in February to March at 10cm deep and 30cm apart. Regular watering will produce larger tubers but the sunflower type plants are very attractive. Each plant will provide up to 2Kg and will be ready for harvesting about nine months after planting.

Whether you grow some or buy some, try this lovely soup which is a good way of incorporating a new vegetable into your diet.

You will need the following ingredients:

Olive oil for frying
2 medium sized onions finely chopped
500g of  Jerusalem artichokes, roughly chopped
2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon of flour
3 cups of vegetable stock
3/4 cup of milk
salt and pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

How to make your soup:

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the onions, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, potatoes and salt and pepper to taste and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.

Add the milk, stir in the flour and gradually add the stock whilst stirring continuously until the soup boils and start to thicken. Simmer for a further 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before using a hand blender to puree until smooth. Garnish with parsley and serve with a nice crusty roll.