Enjoy a comforting bowl of Palestine soup made with tender Jerusalem artichokes—or substitute globe artichokes if needed. This creamy, flavorful soup with ham, celery, and aromatic spices is perfect for cozy meals and easy to prepare.
METHOD 1 (Jerusalem artichokes)
Ingredients:
- 3 lb Jerusalem artichokes, cut into small, even pieces
- 1 onion, diced
- 4–5 sticks celery, diced
- 2 oz ham, diced
- 1 blade mace (or 1/4 tsp ground mace)
- 1 heaping tsp sugar
- 5 cups chicken or veal stock
- 2 oz salted butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 1/4 cups double cream
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Place the Jerusalem artichokes, diced onion, celery, ham, mace, sugar, and stock in a large pot.
- Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat slightly and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the vegetables are soft.
- While the vegetables are cooking, combine the butter and flour in a small bowl to make a thickening paste. Keep it cool until needed.
- Once the vegetables are tender, puree the mixture through a sieve until smooth.
- Stir in the butter-and-flour mixture until fully incorporated.
- Return the soup to the heat in a clean pot and cook, stirring, until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
- Add the cream and stir to combine.
- Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Serve hot.
METHOD 2 (with Globe Artichokes)
Ingredients:
- 3 lb globe (regular) artichokes, trimmed, tough leaves removed, choke removed, cut into small, even pieces
- 1 onion, diced
- 4–5 sticks celery, diced
- 2 oz ham, diced
- 1 blade mace (or 1/4 tsp ground mace)
- 1 heaping tsp sugar
- 5 cups chicken or veal stock
- 2 oz salted butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 1/4 cups double cream
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Prepare the artichokes by trimming the outer leaves and removing the choke. Slice into small, even pieces.
- Place the artichokes, diced onion, celery, ham, mace, sugar, and stock in a large pot.
- Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat slightly and simmer for 35–45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender but not mushy. (Regular artichokes cook a bit faster than Jerusalem artichokes, so keep an eye on them.)
- While the vegetables cook, combine the butter and flour in a small bowl to make a thickening paste. Keep it cool until needed.
- Once the vegetables are tender, puree the mixture through a sieve until smooth.
- Stir in the butter-and-flour mixture until fully incorporated.
- Return the soup to the heat in a clean pot and cook, stirring, until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
- Add the cream and stir to combine.
- Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Serve hot.
