And after the Light Jerusalem artichoke omelette here is another recipe with this unusual tuber: a velvety, creamy and really delicious soup. The Jerusalem artichoke is known by various names, including the Jerusalem artichoke because its flavor slightly resembles that of artichokes. Here in the Netherlands it is called aardpeer, literally “pear of the earth,” unlike the potato which is called aardappel, literally “apple of the earth”: curious, isn’t it?
From what I read online, this tuber should be considered a remedy: it has a positive effect on the gut flora, is rich in minerals and apparently is also excellent for reducing cholesterol. But what attracts me the most is that, although similar to the potato in texture and satiety effect, Weight Watchers gives Jerusalem artichoke zero ProPoints, so it’s welcome in my kitchen and in my belly.
For this reason I had been thinking of using it instead of potatoes for a while to make a velouté, and after some internet research I found a very simple recipe in English on a site run by Italy lovers. I made my usual lightening changes and here is my light Jerusalem artichoke velouté: it’s delicious and the Dutchman, initially very skeptical, ate it all with great pleasure.
Other light veloutés can be found here:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring
Ingredients
- 500 g Jerusalem artichokes
- to taste lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 onion (small)
- 800 ml vegetable broth
- 185 g spreadable cheese (light)
- to taste thyme
- to taste salt
- Total points = 9 WW points
- Points per serving = 2 WW points
Tools
- Immersion blender
Steps
Wash the Jerusalem artichokes well, peel them and cut them into pieces. As you cut them, place them in water acidified with the juice of half a lemon so they don’t darken. Also chop the onion and garlic.
In a pot, sauté the garlic, onion, Jerusalem artichokes and sprigs of thyme over low heat for about 10 minutes until the Jerusalem artichokes begin to soften. Add the broth, cover and simmer gently over low heat for about 20 minutes.
Remove the thyme sprigs and use an immersion blender to reduce everything to a purée. Add the spreadable cheese and continue blending.
You should obtain a smooth, lump-free cream.
Turn off the heat, adjust the salt if necessary and serve the Jerusalem artichoke soup piping hot with fresh thyme leaves. I prepared a few slices of sandwich bread toasted in the toaster and then cut them into little squares, counting separately the extra WW points for the bread.
Delicious! The result is a smooth and very tasty cream. Ideal to warm up with very few WW points, to serve as a starter before the main with vegetables, but also to eat in a double portion with plenty of croutons for a light complete meal.
We were thrilled with this dish at home: try it and let me know if you liked it too.
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
Notes
Reference: Jerusalem artichoke soup on the Italian Notes blog. The link no longer works
