SERVES 4 · ACTIVE: 35 MIN · TOTAL: 1 HR
WHEN THE WINTER PRODUCE selection seems bleak and boring, try sunchokes (also called Jerusalem artichokes). These tubers create creamy, silky, rich soups—no butter or cream needed. Underneath their knobby exteriors is sweet and nutty flesh that’s similar to a potato in texture, and just as versatile. This soup is best topped with a zing of acid, here provided by the pickled oysters.
1 pound sunchokes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 teaspoons orange blossom honey
3 cups Vegetable Stock (here)
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 cups unsweetened almond milk, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon almond oil or extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped roasted almonds
4 Pickled Oysters (here; optional)
Trim the roots and stems from the sunchokes and cut into 1-inch pieces.
Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart pot over medium-low heat. Add the sunchokes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the shallot and garlic and cook until the shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the honey and cook until it starts to caramelize, about 2 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and two turns of black pepper and cook until the sunchokes are tender, about 25 minutes. Pour in the almond milk and bring to a low simmer. Remove the pot from the stove.
Working in batches, fill a blender about one-third full with soup and puree until smooth. Return the pureed soup to a pot over medium heat to warm it. Adjust the consistency with additional almond milk, if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the soup among warm bowls and garnish each with a drizzle of almond oil, a sprinkle of chopped almonds, and a pickled oyster.