Provence Artichoke Soup Recipes

ARTICHOKE SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms. Cook and stir until soft, about 5 minutes. Add flour; cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken broth, artichoke hearts, bay leaf, salt, pepper, thyme leaves, oregano leaves, sage, and paprika. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Beat whipping cream in a bowl on medium-high speed until frothy; fold into soup and continue to cook until soup is heated through (do not boil).
• Remove and discard the bay leaf, then pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.

CREAMY ARTICHOKE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a heavy, large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and the garlic and stir. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the artichokes, stock, salt, and pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Using a handheld immersion blender, or in a blender in batches*, puree the soup. Add the 2 tablespoons mascarpone and blend again to combine. In a small bowl, stir the remaining 1/3 cup mascarpone to soften.
• Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Dollop the top of each of the soups with a spoonful of the softened mascarpone cheese and top the cheese with chives.
• * When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

ARTICHOKES PROVENCAL

Steps:

• Cook 1/2 chopped onion, 2 chopped garlic cloves and a pinch of salt in a skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 5 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup white wine and reduce by half. Add 2 chopped tomatoes, two 9-ounce packages frozen artichoke hearts, 3 tablespoons water, 1 strip lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, covered, 6 minutes. Stir in chopped olives, basil and salt and pepper.

ARTICHOKE PROVENCALE

Steps:

• Cover the bottom of a saute pan with 1/8 cup olive oil and heat. Add the garlic and shallot to pan, and saute until light brown in color. Add the bay scallops and rock shrimp and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not overcook scallops and shrimp. Remove from heat.
• In another saute pan, add the remaining 1/8 cup olive oil and heat. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, lemon juice, clam juice, white wine, and capers. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce liquid by 25 percent.
• Add the reserved seafood to the mixture of tomatoes and mushrooms. Add the green onions. In a small bowl, make a beurre manie by combining the butter and the flour and mixing until a paste is formed. Add the beurre manie to the mixture and whisk to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Place artichoke halves in a soup bowl and ladle mixture over artichoke.

PROVENCE ARTICHOKE SOUP

Steps:

• Warm up the olive oil in a nonreactive soup pot. Add onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, salt, and bay leaves and saute on medium heat 10 minutes, stirring often. Add stock and bring to boil; then lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
• Add artichoke hearts, sherry, and saffron to soup pot and continue simmering for 5 minutes.
• Now stir in the lemon juice, orange juice, and orange peel, simmer for another 5 minutes. Season to taste with black pepper. Remove and discard bay leaves.
• Serve garnished with the parsley and thin slices of fresh lemon. Enjoy!

PROVENCAL TOMATO AND ARTICHOKE DIP

Steps:

• Mix together artichokes, yogurt, Parmesan cheese, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and pepper. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving for flavors to blend. Serve with grilled pita triangles or pita chips.