Last updated on October 27th, 2019.
These Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes are crispy, caramelized and so addicting. I’ll show you how to pick out good Jerusalem artichokes to make this side dish.
The other day I came across this awesome list of ”Ugly Vegetables” on CNN.com. And while I pride myself in being very diverse with my cooking and ingredients, there were several vegetables on this list that I have never heard of. What the heck is a cardoon??
So when I saw Jerusalem Artichokes at Whole Foods soon after, I knew I had to try them! I put them in my shopping cart right away. I was going to figure out how to cook them later. Minor details.
I came home and did what everyone does: I googled Jerusalem Artichokes to learn more about them and how to cook them. Here is everything I learned:
What are Jerusalem Artichokes?
Jerusalem artichokes are tubers, which means they are the roots of a plant. They look kind of like ginger roots, but they couldn’t be more different. Jerusalem artichokes are the roots of these awesome flowers! I see these flowers all over the place and think they are so pretty – I love colorful bright flowers. I had NO IDEA they had such a tasty edible root underneath there.
How do you pick out Jerusalem Artichokes?
The biggest obstacles to trying new fruits and vegetables are (1) picking out the good ones and (2) figuring out how to cook them.
Picking out Jerusalem artichokes is simple. Just make sure you grab pieces that are firm and feel like they would be crisp. Make sure they are not getting soft or moldy anywhere. Look for potential mold around the knobby parts of the Jerusalem artichoke. I have to mention the mold and soft part because Jerusalem artichokes are not as common a purchase as other vegetables, so you want to make sure they haven’t been sitting in the grocery store for too long.
If you can find Jerusalem artichokes that don’t have have too many knots and knobs on them, it will be easier to clean them for cooking. There’s nothing wrong with the knobs, they just need to be scrubbed a little harder to make sure they’re clean.
You can typically fine Jerusalem artichokes at Whole Foods and other big grocery stores, next to the carrots and beets.
Here is a good guide on picking out Jerusalem artichokes.
What do Jerusalem Artichokes taste like?
Jerusalem artichokes are DELICIOUS when they are roasted. Right when you bite into them you might think it tastes like a juicy crispy potato, but in a few seconds you really taste the difference.
Jerusalem artichokes are nutty, slightly sweet, complex, but mild at the same time. SO different from a potato.
Do you need to peel Jerusalem Artichokes?
No need to peel Jerusalem Artichokes! Just give them a good scrub, making sure to scrub really well around the knobs to get any dirt out.
Can you eat Jerusalem Artichokes raw?
You can eat Jerusalem artichokes raw. But they taste much better cooked. Cooking them (especially roasting) brings out their natural sweetness and aroma. And it gives them the beautiful golden brown crispy color.
What you’ll need to Roast Jerusalem Artichokes:
Making roasted Jerusalem artichokes is super simple and you need only a few ingredients. Just toss the chopped pieces in olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper and load them up on a large baking sheet. Don’t overcrowd the pan. You’ll want to make sure the pieces aren’t touching so they get nice and crispy.
Why are they called Jerusalem Artichokes?
Jerusalem artichokes have absolutely nothing to do with Jerusalem or artichokes. According to Wikipedia:
“The origin of the “Jerusalem” part of the name is uncertain. Italian settlers in the United States called the plant girasole, the Italian word for sunflower, because of its familial relationship to the garden sunflower (both plants are members of the genus Helianthus). Over time, the name girasole (pronounced closer to [d͡ʒiraˈzu:l] in southern Italian dialects) may have been changed to Jerusalem.”
Jerusalem artichokes are also often called sunchokes and topinambour, but who wants to try to prounounce that??
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Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes
Ingredients
- 1 lb Jerusalem artichokes , skin on, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt , or to taste
- ground black pepper , to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves , finely minced (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Spray or brush a baking pan with olive oil.
- Brush the jerusalem artichokes with a vegetable brush under water to clean them, leaving the skin on. Chop them into even 1 inch pieces.
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped jerusalem artichokes, olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss to coat all the pieces. Place the artichokes on a large baking sheet, making sure not to crowd them. Roast for 17-20 minutes, or until they are fork-tender. Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Notes
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Nutrition
Have you ever had Jerusalem Artichokes? Did you like them?
CakeSpy
I love jerusalem artichokes SO MUCH. They’re definitely my favorite “ugly” vegetable. The co-op where I used to live treated them similarly to this recipe and I could eat them by the bushel. I am going to go buy some today inspired by this post!!
Melodye
I have been growing Jerusalem artichokes for 2 years now and just love them! I add them to my other roasted vegetables or roast them and put them in salads. You can make soup with them as well. It is so easy to grow because they will come back every year if you leave a few in the grounds over the winter. Ugly but beautiful!
Kate
Oh my gosh, you grow them?? How amazing! I don’t have a place for a garden at the moment, but I am going to have to look into growing them when we move back into our permanent house with a garden. I’ve heard about putting them in soup, but it is so rare to find them in the store that I want to enjoy them in their roasted texture instead of pureeing them into a soup.. although a soup sounds so delicious! thanks for stopping by 🙂
Mary Withers
Hey, I tried growing them this year, after forgetting about a bunch I had in the fridge.
I put these elderly tubers in the ground, and was rewarded this fall with some VERY good eating from the subterranean little guys!
I have heard that they give some people gas. So beware, if that’s an issue for you.
They are YUMMY, sliced and browned in good butter, along with a few other chopped vegetables, some cooked, some raw.
Kate
Ooh browned in butter sounds amazing. And yes, they can give some people gas! I should probably mention that so people can decide for themselves if (or when!) they want to try Jerusalem artichokes lol
Liz
Ive never eaten them before, but we grow in the garden every year. This year, the neighbors dug them up and asked me how to prep them. Was happy to find this recipe, but thinking Ill be peeling the skins off first.
Kate
Oh that’s so cool that you grow them! Peeling is a totally personal preference, just like with potatoes. They’re probably a pain to peel since they’re kind of small and narrow… let me know how it works out and how you like this recipe! It’s a simple one, but pretty tasty!
Lisa
dont need to peel. flip a spoon upside down. one with a hood edge and scrape them like ginger. works great They are very invasive . do not let go to seed. I feed the. flower tops to my bunnies
Only plant in an atea where they cannot speed. roots run deep. like by an alley or isolated section of garden running up against cement or deep barrier.