Categories: Starters

Italian creamy artichoke soup

This recipe is a revisited memory from Venice, and as I tried a lot before finding it, we ate a lot of this soup, without ever growing weary… It’s a contrasted dish, hot and fresh, with both soft and strong taste…

Choose frozen or fresh artichoke hearts but avoid the canned ones that are too acid.

If you use fresh artichokes, cook them beforehand for 20 minutes in boiling water, covered, then collect the hearts removing carefully hay. In this case, use the cooking water for the recipe. But you will need 8 to 10 large green artichokes and find a way to eat the leaves to avoid the waste.

For 4 people (as a starter)

800g (1 lb and 10 oz) of artichoke hearts
2 onions
3 garlic cloves
2dl (5/6 cup) of prosecco
4dl (1^2/3 cup) of liquid cream
2 stock cubes
50g (1/4 cup) of butter
4 goat cheeses
(rocamadour, cabécou…)
1 bunch of white grapes
1 handful of pistachios

In a pan, briefly stir the onions and the garlic cloves in a little bit of olive oil. add the artichoke hearts and stir for one or two more minutes before deglazing with the prosecco.

Then pour about one liter of water, (or cooking water), with two stock cubes, and simmer over low heat for about half an hour. If necessary, add a little bit more of water (some must be left at the end of the cooking).

Meanwhile, wash the grape, cut them in half and remove the seeds.

Coarsely crush the pistachios. Set aside.

When the artichoke hearts are done, blend them with the cream, then pour the soup back in the pan. Add the butter and some water if it’s too thick, and bring to a boil.

Presentation: place a small goat cheese at the bottom of each plate and pour on the boiling creamy soup, to allow them to melt.

Add some grapes, (possibly a quarter of mini-artichoke to decorate) and sprinkle with crushed pistachios.

Serve immediately.

Plate: Sol @ Bernardaud

Fabrice