Last updated on May 29th, 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?? And a rutabaga? I’ve got to find those somewhere!! And I’ve heard of Jerusalem Artichokes but never saw them in stores.
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.
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 also topinambour, but who wants to say that??
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.
It feels like a cop out to describe foods as nutty because SO many different foods are described as nutty, yet they all taste different and taste nothing like nuts do. But I have no other word for it – it was nutty.
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.
How do you pick out Jerusalem Artichokes?
Great question. I feel like two of the biggest obstacles to trying new fruits and vegetables are (1) picking out the good ones and (2) figuring out how to cook them. Well I took care of the latter worry for you, so let me help you figure out how to choose Jerusalem artichokes in the store.
It’s simple. Just make sure you grab pieces that are firm and feel like they would be crisp. Make sure they are not getting soft of 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 around 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.
I found them at Whole Foods, next to the carrots and beets.
Here is a good guide on picking out Jerusalem artichokes.
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.
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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
June 9, 2015 at 8:57 amI 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!!