Jerusalem Artichoke Chowder

Recipe by Alesha Bilbrough-Collins of @bearlionfoods – one of our favourite NZ cooks based in Whakatū, Nelson.

This earthy, silky chowder showcases the humble Jerusalem artichoke (we call them fartychokes with love). It’s hearty, comforting, and packed with nourishing flavour.

Ingredients:

  • 1 onion
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 50g butter
  • 500g Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed and roughly chopped
  • 1 potato, scrubbed and diced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 litres chicken or vegetable stock

Method:

  1. In a medium-sized pot, sweat the onion and garlic in the olive oil and butter over medium heat until soft.
  2. Turn up the heat slightly and add the artichokes and potato. Stir occasionally until the butter begins to brown – this adds a rich, nutty depth.
  3. Add the salt and pour in the stock. Cover with a lid and simmer gently until everything is tender (around 45–60 minutes depending on your veg).
  4. Remove the lid and allow the soup to reduce by about a quarter.
  5. Blend until silky smooth using a stick blender or high-speed blender. Taste and adjust seasoning – don’t skimp on the salt; it unlocks the sweetness of the artichokes.
  6. If you love pepper, now’s your moment to go wild.

Alesha serves her chowder with a generous smoosh of Almond and Chickweed Paste – find it in her beautiful cookbook Food For Thought or adlib your own if you’re lucky enough to have chickweed growing in your māra.

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