When my friend Nancy and I used to work together, she occasionally brought in mom's soup recipes from her days of owning a restaurant. At the time I liked soup, but because I wasn't interested in cooking much, I didn't really think about soup much. But these were good. I remember there was a mushroom barley, one or two others, then there was this soup. Artichoke Soup.
It sold me on the idea of of soup as a meal, because it most definitely is. Full of flavor, just spicy enough, with those things called artichokes which I don't think I'd ever tried before then. Peter and I made it often after I tried Nancy's version. I'm not sure Nancy even knows that this recipe is very much alive in our kitchen.
The other day as I was driving to pick up the kids from school I was listening to Sound Focus. Suddenly, I hear Molly's voice at 2:40pm, telling me how I should be shopping for and cooking baby artichokes right now. And believe me, to hear Molly speak of a baby artichoke is to love a baby artichoke without actually having met one. I am actively seeking out the best picks right now at my favorite local market. I have to try this recipe. But in the meantime, I had to make our old favorite soup (which uses the marinated artichokes, and Molly tells us that although they are good, their taste is quite different, more pickled).
If you are looking for a full bodied cream based soup to dip a hunk of really yummy bread in while you're watching a really good movie (which I can't wait to see), you must try. I've lightened up the cream (I have found it is just as good with 1% milk), but there is some butter involved, so play around with lightening that up and let me know if you do.
Artichoke Soup
2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
7oz. can 1/4 cut marinated artichokes
1 bay leaf
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp sage
pinch of paprika
1 cup of milk (I use 1%, original recipe called for heavy cream, whipped until frothy)
Melt 2 Tbsp butter in pot, then add carrots, celery, onion, and mushrooms. Saute 10 min (until soft) and set aside. Melt 3 Tbsp butter in same pot, then add flour and whisk together, simmering for about 5 mins. Add chicken broth, sauted veggies, artichokes (do not drain), and all seasonings. Simmer for 30-40 minutes. Lastly, add in milk, heat through (do not boil), and serve.
Enjoy!
