Giadas Creamy Artichoke Soup Food

ARTICHOKE SOUP WITH FRESH MINT

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Cook the vegetables until just tender, about 4 minutes. Add 2 cups broth and the artichoke hearts and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the artichoke hearts are tender, about 12 minutes.
• Puree the soup, 1 cup at a time, in a blender until very smooth, adding the spinach and chopped mint with the last cup. Return the puree to the same saucepan. Mix in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Warm over low heat, thinning with the additional broth by 1/4 cupfuls if the soup is too thick. Ladle the soup into bowls. Squeeze a lemon wedge over each bowl of soup before serving.

GENOVESE-STYLE ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• In a large, heavy skillet heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until the mushrooms are tender and the onions are golden. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a medium bowl and let the mixture cool slightly. Add the prosciutto, parsley, Parmesan, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
• Gently pull apart the leaves of the trimmed artichokes to slightly widen the spaces between the leaves. Stuff the mushroom mixture in the spaces between the artichoke leaves. Place the artichokes in a heavy, high-sided pan so they fit snugly enough to stay upright. Pour the wine and 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pan. Pour the 1/4 cup of olive oil over the top of the artichokes. Place the pan over medium-high heat. Cover the pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, until the artichokes are tender. Remove from the pot and serve immediately.

GIADA'S "HOUSE" SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the leek, chopped carrot and fennel and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper flakes. Saute slowly until the vegetables are very soft but not browned, about 3 minutes.
• Add the white beans and farro and toast for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes with their juices and the chicken stock, thyme, parmesan rind and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a steady simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender but not mushy; they should be firm and separate. Season with salt.
• Add the kielbasa, kale and sliced carrot. Cook until the kale and carrot are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and parmesan rind. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of grated parmesan and a squeeze of lemon, if you like.

GIADA'S CREAMY ARTICHOKE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in large pot over medium heat.
• Add leeks and garlic, cook and stir for about 2 minutes.
• Add the potato and cook about 5 minutes.
• Add the artichokes and broth, cover and cook 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Add salt, pepper and cream cheese.
• At this point you can pull out your immersion blender if you're lucky enough to have one. Puree until smooth.
• If you're like me, take the soup off the heat for a few minutes and transfer to a blender to puree (probably in batches) until smooth.
• You may want to strain the soup to remove the little stringy bits of artichokes -- especially if you have kids.
• Top with chives, maybe a dollop of sour cream, or even some mascarpone if you are living dangerously.
• Enjoy!

ARTICHOKE GRATINATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Warm the olive oil in a heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the artichoke hearts, parsley, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and cook until the artichoke hearts are starting to brown at the edges, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and wine and simmer for 3 minutes. Transfer the artichoke mixture to a 2-quart baking dish.
• Melt the butter in the same skillet used to cook the artichokes. In a small bowl mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs. Stir in the Parmesan and top the artichokes with the bread crumbs. Bake until the top is golden, about 10 minutes.

CREAMY RED PEPPER SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, and thyme and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, bell peppers, potato, wine, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low. Partially cover and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool the soup slightly.
• Using an immersion hand blender, puree the soup in the pot until it is smooth. Alternately, working in batches, puree the soup in a regular blender, taking care while blending warm liquids. Season the soup, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and saute until they are crisp and golden, about 8 minutes.
• Ladle the soup into bowls. Dollop a tablespoon of mascarpone in the center of each bowl and top with croutons. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.

NONNA'S ARTICHOKES

Steps:

• Butter a 9-by-13-inch flameproof baking dish. Set aside. Bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Rub the cut sides of the artichokes with the lemon halves. Squeeze the juice from the lemon halves into the water and add the lemon shells. Add the artichoke halves, cover and cook until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain in a colander, stem sides facing upwards, to allow any excess water to drain out from the leaves. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the garlic and discard. Remove the pan from the heat and let the oil cool slightly. Whisk in the anchovy paste until smooth. Return the pan to the heat and place the artichokes, cut-side down, in the pan. Cook for 6 minutes. Turn the artichokes over and cook until tender, 6 minutes longer. Remove the artichokes and reserve the pan juices. Preheat a broiler. Arrange the artichokes, cut-side up, in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, olives and capers. Mix together the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl and sprinkle on top. Spoon the reserved pan juices over the breadcrumbs. Broil until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

STUFFED ARTICHOKES - GIADA DE LAURENTIIS

Steps:

• Fill a large pot (a stock pot works well) with cold water; roll the 2 lemons on the counter with your palm to"loosen" juices, then cut in half and squeeze the juice into the pot of water and toss in the squeezed lemon halves and the smashed garlic.
• Trim the artichokes: cut off the top quarter from the artichokes and discard, remove the bottom and tough outer layer of stem, snap off the tough outer leaves from the base, remove dark green areas of the base.
• Cut artichokes in quarters and remove the choke and small purple leaves.
• Add trimmed and quartered artichokes to the pot of water, cover, and simmer over medium heat until tender, about 45 minutes; drain and set aside to let cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the lemon juice, parsley, basil, mint, minced garlic, lemon peel, capers, cubed bread, and tomatoes, tossing to coat; season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Get two large serving platters and arrange the cooked and cooled artichokes cut-side-up.
• Place a spoonful of the tomato stuffing in the middle of each artichoke quarter, drizzle with olive oil, garnish with the parsley sprigs, and serve.

HEARTY CREAM OF ARTICHOKE SOUP

Steps:

• Bring 1 cup of chicken stock to a boil over med-high heat in a saucepan.
• Add in artichokes; lower heat to med-low and simmer, uncovered, for 6-7 minutes.
• In another saucepan, melt the butter.
• Add in onion, celery, and garlic; stir/saute 5-6 minutes.
• Add in flour; stir until bubbly.
• Add in artichoke/stock mixture and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
• Transfer mixture to a food processor or blender and process until chunky (may have to do this in batches) (also may use a stick blender).
• Return to saucepan; add in remaining stock, half-and-half, salt, and pepper; simmer 5-10 minutes or until flavors are blended.
• Ladle into individual soup bowls and float a lemon slice on top.
• Note: for a richer soup, reduce stock to 1 1/2 cups and increase half-and-half to 1 cup.

CREAM OF ARTICHOKE SOUP

Steps:

• In a dutch oven, combine olive oil and butter over medium heat.
• stir until butter melts.
• saute onion and celery in oil mix until onion is translucent.
• stir in broth, artichokes, carrots, thyme, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
• cover and cook about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• remove from heat.
• puree vegetables in batches in a food processor or blender.
• return to dutch oven.
• stir in half and half and cheese.
• serve warm.