Italian Artichoke Soup A Cant Miss Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Chop the carrot, celery and onion into almost a purée in a food processor. Set aside.
• Drain the artichoke hearts and reserve the liquid. Place the artichoke hearts in the food processor and purée, using some of the liquid if necessary to facilitate puréeing. Set aside.
• Heat up the olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the puréed carrot, celery and onion and cook on high heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly because they can burn easily. Add the puréed artichoke hearts and their liquid and 4 cups water. Bring the soup to a boil on high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan!
• Mix the cornstarch with 1 cup warm water in a small bowl, using your hands to make sure the cornstarch is fully dissolved, then add the mixture to the soup and bring it back to boil. If the soup is too thick for your taste, add a bit more water; if it is too thin, add a bit more cornstarch mixed with water. Don't overdo it, because a bit of cornstarch goes a long way.
• Add the cream to the soup and stir, then remove the pot from the stove. Add the grated cheese to the soup a bit at the time, using a whisk to work it into the soup so that it doesn't form large clumps. Add 1 tablespoon salt, then taste the soup and, if you think it is necessary, add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add artichoke hearts, tomatoes, vegetable broth, roasted bell peppers, basil, herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until flavors combine, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer artichokes, tomatoes, and roasted bell peppers to a blender using a slotted spoon; puree until smooth.
• Stir half-and-half into the broth mixture in the pot. Add pureed artichoke mixture; stir slowly until blended. Stir in Parmesan cheese before serving.

Steps:

• Clean and prepare the artichokes as detailed on page 18. Put artichokes in a serving bowl and toss with the lemon juice.
• Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, and cook until they begin to stick to the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes. Add the leeks and shallots, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle in the garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and peperoncino. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Add the prepped, drained artichokes, and bring the soup to a rapid simmering. Cook, uncovered, until potatoes and artichokes are tender and the potatoes have broken down to thicken the soup, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Stir in the chopped parsley, and serve the soup with grated cheese.

Steps:

• Combine the butter and olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, add the onions and garlic. Sauté until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the artichoke hearts, broth, parsley, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, dissolve the flour in the water. Stir the mixture into the pot, and raise the heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes more, until thickened slightly. Just before serving, sprinkle each bowl of soup with some Parmesan cheese.