Description
This creamy artichoke soup is a rich and comforting dish featuring tender artichokes blended into a smooth base of vegetable stock, heavy cream, and crème fraiche. Enhanced with garlic, onions, and seasoned to perfection, it is perfect for a cozy meal and served with toasted baguette slices and grilled artichoke hearts for a delightful garnish.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
- 2 14 ounce cans DeLallo Foods Artichoke Hearts in brine, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup crème fraiche
For Serving
- 1 baguette, sliced and toasted
- 1 jar DeLallo Foods grilled artichokes hearts, for garnish
- lemon wedges for spritzing
Instructions
- Prepare aromatics: Heat a large pot over medium-low heat and add the olive oil and butter. Add the diced onions and minced garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the onions become translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Cook artichokes: Stir in the drained and rinsed artichoke hearts and cook for another 5 minutes to meld flavors.
- Add stock and simmer: Pour in the low-sodium vegetable stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the artichokes are very tender and starting to break down, about 20 minutes.
- Blend the soup: Carefully transfer the hot soup to a blender using a towel to cover the lid for safety. Blend until smooth, then return the soup to the pot.
- Add cream and simmer: Stir in the heavy cream and crème fraiche, bring the soup back to a gentle simmer, and let it cook for about 30 minutes to reduce slightly and develop richness.
- Season and adjust: Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if needed. If the soup tastes too briney from the artichokes, stir in an additional ¼ cup of cream or crème fraiche to mellow the flavor.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, top with a toasted baguette slice and a grilled artichoke heart. Serve with lemon wedges on the side to spritz for added brightness.
Notes
- This recipe is slightly adapted from Saveur.
- Use low-sodium vegetable stock to control the salt level due to brined artichokes.
- If the soup is too thick after blending, add extra vegetable stock or cream to reach desired consistency.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute heavy cream and crème fraiche with full-fat coconut milk or a vegan cream alternative.
- To speed up blending, cool the soup slightly before processing to avoid pressure build-up in the blender.
- Grilled artichokes add a nice smoky garnish but can be omitted if unavailable; roasted artichokes work as well.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
