Oven Roasted Sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes) Recipe

If you're looking for an alternative to oven-roasted potatoes, but want a nutty root vegetable you can roast and prepare much in the same way, look no further than the sunchoke—also known as Jerusalem artichoke.

What Are Sunchokes, a.ka. Jerusalem Artichokes?

These knobby-looking tubers resemble ginger root but taste nothing like them. The Jerusalem artichoke, or sunchoke, is actually the thickened underground part of a stem (a tuber) of a breed of sunflowers. Hence, the name sunchoke.

This vegetable is mildly sweet, crunchy, and nutty, almost like a cross between potato and jicama. You can find them at bigger grocery stores with more extensive produce departments and at many farmers' markets. Their season runs from October to about April.

Sunchokes require a careful washing before cooking because dirt can get trapped in all those knobby bits. You don't need to peel them before cooking them, though you can if you like (this skin is papery and thin).

Once washed, cut them into thick slices or chunks and prepare them the same way you would potatoes. Sunchokes can be substituted in any recipe calling for potatoes.

What to Serve with Roasted Sunchokes?

Roasted sunchokes are crispy on the outside, tender in the middle, and slightly sweet-tasting. They are great paired with other roasted vegetables, like broccoli, red onions, or asparagus—you can even roast everything together in the oven at the same time.

Serve alongside pork chops, steak, or roast chicken. Leftovers are great reheated the next day, mixed into a frittata or quiche, or made into a salad for lunch.

Why Do Sunchokes Sometimes Cause Gas?

This vegetable contains high levels of inulin, a non-digestible carbohydrate that is fermented by gut bacteria and which often causes gas. Sunchokes seem to cause more issues for people in its raw form, and not everyone will be affected in the same way by sunchokes.

To avoid gassiness, serve sunchokes with a mix of other vegetables and proteins. If you're new to eating sunchokes, try a small portion before eating more until you know how they affect you.