Artichoke Soup Recipe: How to Prep Artichokes for Soup

Artichoke soup is a creamy vegetable soup featuring puréed artichoke hearts. Most artichoke soups include other vegetables like onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and potatoes and herbs like thyme and bay leaves, cooked in chicken stock or vegetable stock. The result is a rich broth with a taste similar to asparagus soup that goes well with breads and pasta.

You can purchase canned artichoke hearts at most grocery stores or buy a whole artichoke and prepare it at home. To make the soup heartier, add shredded chicken or beef stew meat to the base.

To prepare whole artichokes for cooking, you will need to remove the stem, the outside leaves, and the tips of the leaves on the top of the artichoke. Here is a step-by-step guide:

1. 1. Wash and trim the artichokes. To wash the artichokes, simply rinse them under cold water. Next, use a serrated knife to slice off the top inch of the artichoke and the stem.
2. 2. Preserve the leaves (optional). If you want to preserve the leaves for eating, trim the spiky tips of the leaves with kitchen shears.
3. 3. Remove the choke. Spread the leaves open to reveal the fuzzy interior part of the artichoke called the choke. This portion is inedible, and you can remove it by scraping it out with a spoon.
4. 4. Trim away the excess parts. Use a paring knife to trim away any excess leaves or green parts from the outer edge of the heart until all that remains is the soft, yellow artichoke heart.
5. 5. Soak the artichokes in lemon juice. Place your artichoke heart in a large bowl of cold water with a generous squeeze of lemon juice to prevent them from oxidizing and turning brown. Alternatively, skip the water bath, and drizzle the lemon juice across the veggies.