Who would have thought.... Artichoke Soup!
Artichokes are considered a vegetable. Although botanically it is considered to be the flower of the plant. It starts off as a beautiful purple flower that eventually turns into the actual artichoke. It grows on a stick straight out of the foliage of the plant. It has many dietary benefits, since it is rich in fiber and has no saturated fats. It is high in Vitamin C and Magnesium.
Having said that, the edible part of the artichoke is all the way at the bottom, it’s like you have to dig for it. Cleaning it is a bit time consuming but well worth the effort.
Since the cold weather is hitting us a bit late this season, we are all ready for some warm soups to keep our body warm. There is nothing better than a hot bowl of soup with some crusty baguettes to warm the soul.
- 2 lbs of frozen or canned artichoke bottoms or even artichoke hearts
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 6 cups warm chicken broth
- ½ Cup of whipping cream (optional)
- Chopped parsley as a garnish
- Salt & pepper
- Bring 8 cups of water with the lemon juice to a rapid boil and add the frozen artichoke bottoms and bring back to a boil and let it boil for about 5 minutes. If using canned artichokes there is no need for this step.
Drain and cut the artichoke bottoms into 4 pieces, add the artichokes into the warm broth reserving one bottom to garnish, slicing it thin slices .
Using a hand blender insert the blender into the pot and blend until the artichokes are pureed and blended well with the broth. If a hand blender is not available, use a regular blender and puree until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Keep warm in the pot until ready to use. Add the cream and serve topped with a slice of the artichoke garnish and some parsley.
Anushner!
