This Turkish Style Sunchoke Recipe is packed with the combination of citrus and olive oil flavors. A perfect combination with the earthy and nutty flavor of sunchokes. It is healthy and extremely easy to make. It can be served hot, cold, or at room temperature. You can have it as a vegetarian lunch on its own as well.
Sunchokes are a staple during fall and winter in our kitchen. We either eat them raw or make this easy recipe. It is one of our favorite Turkish vegetarian dishes. Interested in such healthy vegetarian meals? Try our celeriac recipe, braised green beans or fava beans with pod.
Today, we will discuss this sunchoke vegetable aka Jerusalem artichoke in all of its glory! We will look at what it is, how to prepare and cook it for this mouth-watering recipe, as well as how it can be served and stored.
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What Is a Jerusalem Artichoke?
This artichoke goes by many other names including sunchoke, topinambur and sunroot. In Turkey, it is referred to as "yerelması” which directly translates to “earth apple”, which is another name for it.
Despite the name Jerusalem artichoke, there is no connection between the city and the vegetable.
It may have been because originally it was called “girasole artichoke” in Italian, which means “sunflower artichoke” because of some relation between the two. Throughout time it might have been changed to “Jerusalem artichoke”.
Another thing about Jerusalem artichokes is that they have no relation to artichokes! This name is derived from the distant relationship between the two vegetables’ daisies.
So, what exactly is this vegetable then?!
Jerusalem artichoke is a type of tuberous root vegetable that is native to the North American region despite being an extremely popular ingredient in many other cuisines and cultures around the world.
A sunchoke’s taste is very much like that of water chestnuts. Think of a combination of slightly sweet but nutty flavors. It definitely doesn’t have an overpowering flavor and pairs beautifully with a ton of flavorings.
What Does It Look Like?
Sunchokes have a knobby appearance with a brownish color – it almost looks like fresh turmeric or ginger. Sometimes they can also be white, red, or even purple. They come in various shapes and sizes, but range between 3-4 inches long and 1-2 inches thick.
In its raw form, it has an extremely crisp and crunchy texture, but once cooked it becomes soft and succulent.
How to Prepare
Sunchokes have to be scrubbed clean before being prepared. Because they grow underground, a ton of dirt and pebbles get stuck between the ridges of this root vegetable.
We peel sunchokes to be sure that we get rid of all that dirt, but it isn't necessary. The skin is safe to eat. Just remember to wash it very well otherwise you might have to chew on some sand!
The way you cut them will depend on what you’re making with them, but they are very versatile vegetables so can be cut in many different ways (thickness and shapes).
Cooking Alternatives
Cooking sunchokes is no different from cooking potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, and celery root.
There are a ton of Jerusalem artichoke recipes available on the internet, all with different cooking methods.
Some of the most popular ways to prepare Jerusalem artichokes are to roast them, deep-fry them for crispy fries, or steam them to retain their nutrients. And we will be sharing the recipe for a cream of sunchoke soup soon.
Ingredients
Sunchokes: They are the star of this recipe. We peel them for this recipe but you can leave their skin. Just make sure you clean them well.
Carrots: We think the best vegetable to combine with sunchokes is carrots. They enrich the dish with their subtle sweetness and color.
Citrus flavors: We use a combination of orange and lemon.
Herbs: Fresh dill is a great ingredient to combine with vegetable dishes like this. Additionally, we sometimes add parsley.
Olive oil: Use a good quality of olive oil. You can even use extra virgin olive oil to drizzle over the dish after it is cooled.
How to Make This Recipe
This braised sunchoke recipe is incredibly easy and even quick to make.
First, prepare the sunchokes. Add water into a bowl with some lemon juice inside. Peel the sunchokes and chop them roughly. Place them in lemon water to prevent them from becoming brown or discolored in any way.
Second, cook the vegetables. In a large pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions and carrots. Add the sunchokes with their lemon water along with the orange juice and salt. Cook the mixture covered for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and evenly cooked.
Third, garnish and serve. Once your vegetables have fully cooked, remove them from the heat, let it cook down a bit and add some freshly chopped dill or parsley. Transfer it to a serving bowl and serve according to your liking.
Remember to add extra olive oil and lemon juice before serving!
How To Serve
This is another one of those classic “olive oil dishes” in Turkish where the dish can either be served at room temperature or cooled in the fridge.
Almost always these vegetarian recipes are served with extra olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to peel Jerusalem artichokes?
No, it isn’t necessary. The main reason for peeling is to remove any dirt or sand left on the surface, but as we've also mentioned, those can be removed by simply scrubbing the skin with a vegetable brush or sponge and some clean water.
When Are Sunchokes In Season?
Sunchokes are generally available from early fall right through to spring, but the optimum time to harvest or consume them is in the winter months.
How to Store Sunchokes
Sunchokes can be stored in the same way other root vegetables are; keep them in a cool, dark, and dry area that is well-ventilated.
You can store them in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life, but it isn't necessary. If you choose to keep them in the refrigerator, make sure to wrap them in paper towels or keep them sealed in a plastic bag – this will help them absorb the humidity and prevent them from drying out.
Can you eat raw Jerusalem artichokes?
Yes, you can eat them raw! And truthfully, they’re actually quite delicious this way! They add a nutty flavor and crunchy texture to any salad or sandwich.
More Vegetarian Turkish Dishes
As always: If you make this recipe, let us know what you think by rating it and leaving a comment below. And post a pic on Instagram too—tag @give_recipe so we can see!
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📖 Recipe
Citrus Flavored Sunchoke Recipe
Topinambur also known as sunchokes or Jerusalem artichoke cooked with carrots. An amazing meatless dish that can also be served cold with additional olive oil and lemon juice.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Turkish
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 4 cups sunchokes, chopped
- 2 cups water
- Half lemon
- 1 small onion, diced
- ½ cup carrots, chopped
- ½ tablespoon orange juice, optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Fresh dill, chopped
Instructions
- Put water in a large bowl. Squeeze lemon in it and put it aside.
- Peel the sunchokes and chop them roughly. Transfer them into the bowl with water. This is to prevent the chopped sunchokes from getting darker.
- Heat olive oil in a pan. Saute diced onion and carrots until translucent.
- Add in the chopped sunchokes with the water in the bowl.
- Pour orange juice over them. Add in salt. Cook covered until the carrots and sunchokes are tender, for about 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat, add in chopped fresh dill, give it a stir and transfer into a serving bowl. Bring it to room temperature.
- Optionally, you can drizzle extra olive oil and squeeze extra lemon on it right before serving.
Notes
- After peeled, sunchokes lose their bright color fast. To avoid this, put them in a cold lemon water.
- Don't overcook the sunchokes, they will get mushy otherwise.
- Serving suggestion: Let the dish cool completely, keep it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and then serve.
Keywords: sunchokes, sunchoke recipe, topinambur, jerusalem artichoke, jerusalem artichoke recipe
Stephanie says
I saw Jerusalem artichokes many times at markets and had been wondering about them. So glad I found this recipe. Made this today and loved it! We had it for lunch with some rice. Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Yusuf says
Hi Stephanie,
Glad you liked the recipe. It is really easy to make, right? Pairing it with rice sounds great!
Best olive oil in New Zealand says
mmmmmm. looks delicious, thanks for that recipe
Megan Thompson says
Olive oil is very tasty and has some nutty taste too.":`
Azita says
I think I've seen it back home, love to try it one day. Thanks for the recipe, Zerrin.
elra says
Here in the U.S, we called it Jerusalem artichoke. Not sure if its has anything to do with Jerusalem though. For sure, your soup look delicious Zerrrin.
Divina says
I haven't had this vegetable in a while. I can't remember what it tastes like. But I do love them.
rowena says
They're called topinambur in Italy too! (and yes I like that mysterious name better, even if I don't know anything about the origins). The most common way topinambur is used is in the dish bagna cauda - a strong-flavored sauce made with anchovies, garlic, milk and olive oil. It's a popular dish in the Piemonte region, and not only topinambur but other cooked and fresh vegetables are dipped into this sauce. It's always fun to get invited to a bagna cauda (BAH-n'yah COW-dah) party!
zurin says
that vegetable looks like galangal almost! the soup look so delicious..i learnt something new from u today ! TQ :))
Taymer says
Ppl have been asking me about this root as they think it is what we call eddoes. It looks like an eddoe but the skin is too purple.
I didnt know that u can use acid on the root veg to prevent it from blackening.
I am going to try that with white sweet potato as it always turns black when I am working with it. Thanks for another great recipe and useful tips.
tasteofbeirut says
Interesting! I would love to try them ! I wonder if they taste like "colcass'
Michael @ Herbivoracious.com says
I like them too, but beware, too many can give you some serious gas. They contain an indigestible fiber called inulin.
Sophie says
I so love topinamboures or jerusalem artichokes in English or sunchokes in American!! We, in Dutch call them aardperen!! They are so good for you too, with inulin in them instead of insuline!
This dish is very appealing to me !!! MMMMM,...A Happy Belated Blog anniversary to you!! Cheers!
Natasha - 5 Star Foodie says
I call them sunchokes (or Jerusalem artichokes) and they are one of my favorite veggies! I love this soup recipe, so delicious!
Faith says
This is one veggie I've never had -- the flavor sounds very unique (and delicious!) though. It sounds like cooking it similar to a potato worked perfectly!
Cajun Chef Ryan says
Always great to learn new ingredients!
Trissa says
I am a big fan of Jerusalem Artichokes - I particularly love them just roasted with olive oil - I would love to try it in a soup like that one day... and topinambur does sound better!
penny aka jeroxie says
I love these babies. They are naturally sweet? But so delicate as well.
OysterCulture says
Zerrin, here in the states they go by Jerusalem Artichokes (maybe because they sound more exotic than their appearance implies) or sunchokes. They are delicious and I love the sound of this soup you made so hearty with all the bits of vegetables and refreshing (the orange juice sounds lovely) Thanks for sharing and educating all at the same time.
jenn (Bread + Butter) says
Whichever name you cal them by you can't deny that they do taste really good.
Stamatia says
Zerrin, here in Canada we call these "Jerusalem artichokes", I've never heard them called anything else - topinambur seems to be the German name for them. And although they are native to North America I've never eaten them - although I have seen them grown, they are fairly uncommon, and I have not seen them in supermarkets here. Sound like they might be worth trying, though!