Jerusalem Artichoke and Butternut Squash Soup

In the same fashion that Thanksgiving snuck up on me before I could post any Thanksgiving-specific recipes, here I am on December 22nd, kicking myself for forgetting to create and post a brusselsprout recipe with balsamic bacon and pomegranate seeds I've made for my family a few times with unanimous success...the perfect Christmas vegetable side. I'll likely create it and post it next week, and as I hit the "upload" button, I anticipate that the same feeling that will overcome your uncle who was assigned appetizers for Christmas dinner as he walks in midway through prime rib carving, will overcome me.

But, on the bright side, in the midst of holiday madness, I'll say that in this soup I've found my favorite soup I've created to date. There is something simply complex about the flavors; mellow yet bold (enough cliche paradoxes?). I've always found power in "speaking softly and carrying a big stick," and if Roosevelt's style of policy could have been represented by a soup, this may have been the one. Another positive resulting from the craziness of the holiday season is that I stumbled upon a small boutique store in Venice selling imported Japanese culinary knives. I'll liken this experience to a meth-head finding a tweaker pad right around the corner from his house. Or, more seasonally appropriate, an elf finding a lumber yard with fresh milled, unlimited pine. The experience was completely happenstance, as I was riding my bike home after a seasonally beautifully sunny December beach clean-up, organized by my friend Nick and his Aqua Army. The owner of the store is incredibly knowledgeable about Japanese knives and cooking techniques, and more than happy to share his knowledge. I'll be spending a lot of time there, and also sharing what I learn.

As for the soup, Jerusalem artichokes, or sunchokes as they are also called, are a great ingredient to cook with this time of year. You can eat them raw in salads, mash them into potatoes, or in this case, cook them soft and puree them in a soup. They have a nutty flavor that compliments the likes of butternut squash incredibly well. Nutritionally speaking, they fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. They are not very calorie dense or high in starchy carbohydrate, though they do not have a particularly rich vitamin and mineral profile. They will contribute fiber to a dish, as well as iron, potassium, and thiamin. I tend to use them more for their flavor, knowing that they are not a superfood, nor are they anything you should feel guilty about eating.

Jerusalem artichokes are not artichokes at all, but are the roots of a species of sunflower. They look very similar to ginger, and are guaranteed to stump the checker at your local grocery store. Give them a try in this dish, or any other, and have a great holiday season.