Artichoke Soup

Step 1

Mince the garlic, peel and dice the onion, the potato, and the leek. Cut the artichokes into halves, but reserve the petals from 1 artichoke heart for later.

Step 2

Melt the butter in a large pot/Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, leek, celery, garlic, plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 3

Add potatoes, artichokes, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Step 4

Stir in the cream, and cook for a few minutes. Turn the heat off and let it cool slightly.

Step 5

Blend the soup quickly using a stand blender or hand blender. If you use a stand blender, be careful and make sure you work in batches (it's still hot!), and don't over blend (it's ok if the texture is not super smooth).

Step 6

Return the soup to the pot, stir in the lemon juice, the parsley, and taste and adjust the consistency and the seasoning if needed.

Step 7

Divide the soup into 4 bowls and serve with chopped parsley, freshly ground black pepper,and lemon wedges for extra lemon juice if desired. Don't forget crusty bread or crispy croutons!