Jerusalem artichoke soup with thyme and hazelnut granola

Our Development Chef Tom Beauchamp has put together this wonderfully warming winter soup recipe that you can make at home.

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the soup

• Jerusalem artichokes – 1.5kg
• Good quality vegetable stock – 500g
• Full fat milk – 500g
• Unsalted butter – 100g (2 cm diced)
• Thyme – a small sprig
• Sea salt – 10g then more to taste if necessary
• Ground white pepper – 2g then more to taste if necessary
• 4 lemons
• 1 litre cold water

For the granola

• Hazelnuts – 60g
• Breadcrumbs – 50g
• Rapeseed oil – 50g
• Pumpkin seeds – 10g
• Sunflower seeds – 10g
• Sage leaves – 10g
• 5g sea salt and more to taste if necessary
• 1g group white pepper and more to taste if necessary

Instructions

For the granola

1. Preheat an oven to 160c
2. Gently crush the hazelnuts until broken in to rough pieces. Mix with the seeds, place on an oven tray and bake for 8 minutes, until the oils start to come out
3. Heat the oil in a small heavy bottomed sautee/frying pan until hot but not smoking
4. Add the breadcrumbs and fry until golden. Remove on to a tray lined with paper and drain the excess fat. Immediately season with a little of the salt 
5. Place the breadcrumbs and seed mix in a container and adjust seasoning if necessary
6. Finely chop the sage and add to the seed mix
7. Reserve until ready to use

For the soup

1. Place the cold water in a bowl approximately 3 litres in volume and squeeze in all the lemon juice
2. Peel the artichokes and immediately place in to the acidulated water to avoid them discolouring. Once peeled, dice approximately 2cm sq and place back in the water
3. Heat the stock and milk in a soup pot with the 10g salt and 2g of pepper. Drain the artichoke pieces thoroughly then add to the stock. Simmer until tender
4. Once cooked, drain the artichokes in a colander and retain the liquid. Place the cooked artichokes in a blender and blend until smooth, adding the stock carefully until the right consistency is reached
5. Once the right consistency is reached, on a medium speed, add the butter bit by bit until the soup is emulsified and velvety. Check seasoning and keep warm
6. To serve, place the warm soup in a bowl and top with a large pile of the granola mix