As the nights get fresher, this lightly dressed soup becomes as comforting as pulling on a favourite old jumper. It is inexpensive and simple to make, but so luxurious to eat, as you drink in all that goodness and taste. It also has that chameleon quality I love: a single soup can be rustic, elegant, simple or chi-chi, depending on how you blend it and dress it. No matter how humble your ingredients, the end result can shine.
Jerusalem artichoke soup
You can use parsnips instead of artichokes – the result is equally delicious.
Prep 25 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 4-6
600g jerusalem artichokes
300g potatoes
1 large knob butter
160ml extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
Salt and black pepper
1 large handful fresh thyme, leaves picked
1.2 litres vegetable or chicken stock
For the salsa verde
50g hazelnuts
1 large handful each fresh parsley and mint, roughly chopped
1 large garlic clove, peeled
2 tbsp capers
4 anchovy fillets (optional)
2 tbsp red-wine vinegar
Scrub the jerusalem artichokes clean in cold water with a wire brush and cut into even chunks. Peel the potatoes and cut into similar-sized chunks. Leave to stand in a bowl of cold water.
Put a large casserole over a medium-high heat and add the butter and two tablespoons of the olive oil. Once hot, add the onions, season with a heaped teaspoon of flaky salt (or half if using fine salt) and a few grindings of black pepper. Turn the heat down to medium and sweat the onions for 10-15 minutes, turning the heat down if they start colouring. Drain the artichokes and potatoes. Add them and the thyme to the onions, and cook for a further five minutes, stirring once or twice to coat them in the fat. Pour in the stock, bring to a simmer and leave for 25-30 minutes, covered, until the vegetables are collapsing.
While the soup is simmering, make the salsa verde. Using a pestle and mortar, or a stick blender if you’re in a hurry, bash together the nuts, herbs, garlic, capers and anchovies, if using. Once you have a rough paste, add the vinegar, bash again until you have a smoother paste, then work in the remaining olive oil. Taste for seasoning.
Blitz the soup with a stick blender until completely smooth. If it’s too thick, add a little water or milk. Taste: it might need more salt, but keep in mind that the salsa verde will season the soup, too. Serve in hot bowls with large dollops of salsa verde on top.
And for the rest of the week
Drizzle leftover salsa on to a midweek salad, or use to season lamb chops, a cheesy baked potato or fried skirt steaks.
