A warming winter creamy soup featuring Jerusalem artichokes in all their glory.
Preparation time
less than 30 mins
Cooking time
30 mins to 1 hour
Serves
Serves 4

From Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
For the soup
- 25g/1oz butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 500g/1lb 2oz Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 500ml/18fl oz light chicken stock
- 200ml/7fl oz milk
- 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the garnish
- 6–8 tbsp oil, for frying
- 2 Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 thin slices Parma ham, cut into thin strips
- 50g/1¾oz pine nuts, toasted
- 2–4 tbsp olive oil
- splash muscatel vinegar
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the soup, heat the butter and oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and sliced artichokes. Cover with the stock and milk and simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes.
Add the double cream and bring back to the boil, then remove from the heat. Use a hand-held stick blender to blend to a smooth purée. Pass through a sieve and season with salt and pepper.
To make the garnish, put the olive oil in a frying pan over high heat. Shallow fry the artichokes until crisp and golden. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, fry the Parma ham until crisp. Remove and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together the pine nuts with the oil, vinegar, parsley and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, dress the finished soup with the garnish.