Artichoke Soup

I hosted a dinner party last night and decided to make a soup because I love soup and as an excuse to use my new china soup bowls. I decided to try artichoke soup. I had never had it before, my friend Lori raves about the artichoke soup from the Junior League. I had picked some up for her awhile back, but it was lost in the freezer due to Hurricane Ike. I haven't seen it back on the menu there, but I check for it every time I am at the League.

This soup was tasty and easy. The original recipe called for a roux, but once I got done straining it, I didn't think it needed thickening, so I went ahead and didn't use it. I made croutons with some 10-grain bread I had. Just cut the crusts off the bread, cube it and toss in a ziploc bag with a tablespoon of olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking.

Artichoke Soup
makes 8 servings

3 cans, drained artichoke hearts
2 med.-lg. Potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 med. Onion, peeled and sliced
3 Celery stalks, chopped
2 clove Garlic, finely chopped
6 Cups Chicken or vegetable stock
2 Tbsp. Fresh minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
1/2 Tsp. Dried oregano
1 Tsp. Dried basil
1 Cup Heavy cream
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Pepper
2 Tsp. Fresh lemon juice

Cook vegetables, in water until soft, approx 10-12 minutes. Drain. In blender, purée cooked vegetables, artichokes and garlic. Return to pot. Add the herbs and stock. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the heavy cream. Bring soup back up to boil and season with salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice to taste. Strain through a fine strainer or colander. Serve with croutons.

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