How to Roast Sunchokes: Easy Roasted Sunchokes Recipe

Sunchokes (Helianthus tuberosus), also known as Jerusalem artichokes, are root vegetables that are members of the sunflower family. This hardy perennial vegetable is native to North America, where Native Americans cultivated it as a root crop before the Europeans arrived on the continent. Sunchokes grow to be five to 10 feet tall and produce beautiful yellow flowers and edible tubers with thin, papery skin like turmeric or ginger roots.

Raw sunchokes are similar to the texture and mildness of jicama or water chestnuts. When roasted or seared over high heat in a cast-iron skillet, sunchokes have a nutty, earthy, and sweet flavor. The sweetness derives from their high inulin content, a low-glycemic carbohydrate that converts into fructose over time.

Sunchokes make a dynamic vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free addition to any dining table. Serve sunchokes as a standalone roasted side dish, puréed into a hearty soup with veggies like cauliflower or sweet potatoes, or pair with creamy labneh.