Artichoke Soup
Artichokes are one of my favorite foods to eat. I love putting them in vegetable salads, and in sandwiches. I never thought it was possible to make soup out of them. Turns out I was wrong.
After flipping through a cookbook that my aunt gifted me some years ago I came upon a recipe for artichoke soup. The picture of the soup looked so good that I wanted to try it right then and there. Since I've never seen artichoke soup on restaurant menus the only way for me to try this soup was to make it myself. And so that's what I did.
The recipe called for light cream but I decided to use half-n-half since I've never seen any light cream for sale in my supermarket. Not even sure there is such a thing. The recipe also called for fresh thyme and sun dried tomatoes as a garnish but I chose to leave them out and instead used a few olives as a garnish. I also added some melted butter, which the recipe didn't have. I think it added to the flavor of the soup. Vegetable stock was a needed ingredient in this recipe and instead of using one from a can I made it from scratch. Carrots, celery, onions, napa cabbage and white turnips were some of the ingredients used to make the vegetable stock. I put everything in a pot of water and after it came to a boil I lowered the heat and let it cook for an hour. After it was done cooking that's when I started making the soup.
Making this soup was an interesting experience for me. I didn't know what to expect or how the soup would turn out. And it was a slightly messy job the first time around. When I was done cooking, I poured myself a big bowl of chilled artichoke soup. After the first spoonful I felt like I was in heaven. I fell in love immediately and knew that I'd be making this soup again and again and again...
The artichoke soup was delicious and after sharing the picture with my best friend he told me that the soup looks like it came from a five star restaurant. That is a high complement, especially when it comes from him.
I am sure that you are dying to try this artichoke soup recipe. Read on for the recipe, which includes a list of ingredients, step-by-step instructions, and recipe photos.
Artichoke Soup
Ingredients
- 2 - 14 oz. cans Artichokes
- 1 Small Onion
- 1 Clove Garlic
- 2.5 Cups Vegetable Stock
- 2/3 Cups Half-n-Half
- Cooking Oil
- 1-2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
Instructions (4 Servings)
- Peel a small onion and chop it. Take one garlic clove, peel, and mince. Add oil to a skillet and once hot fry the garlic for about 5 seconds and remove. Then fry the onion until golden brown. Turn off heat. Add back the garlic and mix.
- Take 2 cans of artichokes (14 oz. each) and drain. Then remove the artichokes and cut each one in half and then in half again.
- Place the artichokes and the fried onion and garlic into a pot. Add 2.5 cups of vegetable stock to the pot and mix everything. Cook until the pot starts to boil. Then lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and let simmer for about 5 minutes. When time's up turn off the heat.
- Take a food processor and process the contents (the artichokes, onion and garlic) until they are smooth. You may add a few spoonfuls of the vegetable stock from the pot to make the processing easier but you don't have to as you will be mixing it with the processed artichokes in the next step.
- Once you've processed the ingredients drain the mixture through a colander to get rid of artichoke clumps.
- Return the mixture to the pot with the vegetable stock (with heat turned off) and stir the contents. Then add 2/3 cups of half-n-half and stir again. Then melt some butter in a sauce pan and add that to the pot. stir everything again. Finally, place the pot in the fridge for about 3-4 hrs to chill.
- The soup should be served chilled. Garnish with a few jumbo olives or herbs of your choice. You can also add some toasted bread to go along with the soup.
Recipe Photos
Have you ever tried artichoke soup before?
Interesting Facts about Artichokes
- Artichokes have one of the highest amounts of antioxidants. They help strengthen the functioning of the liver and the gallbladder organs. They also help with digestion.
- France, Spain, and Italy are the main producers of artichokes in Europe. In the United States the majority of the artichokes are cultivated in the State of California.
- Artichokes serve as the primary flavor in an Italian liquor called Cynar. This liquor can be mixed with orange juice or served over ice.
- Artichoke leaves are used to make tea. Drinking artichoke tea serves as a diuretic and can help with digestion, maintaining good cholesterol levels and promote overall health.
