A creamy and flavorful bisque made with sunchokes and leeks, topped with sautéed mushrooms for a delightful finish.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium leeks
1 pound sunchokes
2 stalks celery
1 medium carrot
2 cloves garlic
to taste none salt
to taste none black pepper
2 whole bay leaves
1/2 bunch tarragon
1 cup vermouth
4 cups vegetable broth
1 bunch watercress
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces mushrooms
Method
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced leeks and sauté until they are soft and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir in chopped sunchokes, diced celery, grated carrot, and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper, then introduce bay leaves and half of the chopped tarragon. Increase the heat to high and stir for 2 to 3 minutes to heat everything through.
Pour in vermouth and bring to a boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom. Add vegetable broth, reduce heat to medium-low, and let it simmer until all vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Before serving, add watercress, reserving a few sprigs for garnish, and let it wilt for about 5 minutes.
While the soup simmers, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until tender, around 5 minutes. Mix in the remaining tarragon and set aside.
Once the soup is done, remove bay leaves. Set aside about one-third of the soup in another pot. Blend the remaining two-thirds in batches, filling the blender halfway. Secure the lid with a towel and pulse a few times before blending until completely smooth. Combine the blended soup with the reserved portion.
Serve the soup in bowls, garnishing each one with a hearty scoop of sautéed mushrooms and a sprig of watercress.
