Artichoke Soup with Meatballs
User Reviews
5
Artichoke Soup with Meatballs
Description
This Artichoke Soup with Meatballs recipe starts by preparing fresh artichokes and/or preserved artichoke hearts and cardoons or celery, which are cut into bite-sized pieces. The artichokes are cleaned thoroughly by removing tough leaves, scraping out chokes, and preventing discoloration by submerging in lemon-water. Cardoons require peeling and trimming similar to celery. The vegetables are simmered in flavorful broth.
The meatballs are made from ground meat mixed with salt, pepper, egg, breadcrumbs, dried oregano, parsley, garlic, and optionally lovage for unique flavor. These are browned in oil to develop a crust, then added to the broth to finish cooking and impart their flavor to the soup. Garlic slices are added in the broth for aromatic presence.
The broth base preferably uses pheasant or low-sodium chicken broth, enhancing authenticity and depth. The soup is finished with fresh herbs—parsley and chives—and grated hard cheese such as Parmesan or pecorino, adding savory, slightly salty finish and enhancing the soup’s richness. This mixture creates a hearty, warming soup with tender vegetables and flavorful meatballs, suitable as a filling meal especially in cooler weather.
Using homemade broth can significantly improve the complexity of flavors. The number of artichokes can be adjusted according to availability or serving size. Careful preparation of vegetables and meatballs yields a balanced soup with soft textures and pleasant herbal notes.
Ingredients
ARTICHOKES and CARDOONS
- 10 to 16 Artichoke or that many preserved artichoke hearts, small
- 1 pound cardoon or 1/2 pound celery stalks
- lemon juice of 2 or 3
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
MEATBALLS
- 1/2 pound ground meat
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons oregano dried
- 2 tablespoons parsley fresh, minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon lovage optional, dried
TO FINISH
- oil for browning the meatballs
- 2 quarts pheasant broth or low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 garlic sliced very thin, cloves
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
- 3 tablespoons chive minced
- Parmesan Cheese or pecorino cheese, for grating
Instructions
- Prep the Artichokes. If you are using fresh artichokes and/or cardoons, get a big bowl of cool water ready. Pour about half the lemon juice in it, and keep the squeezed lemons handy. If you are using fresh artichokes, you will want to pull off most of the leaves, until you get to the tender yellow part. Slice off the end of the stem, leaving a little, and then the top of the tender leaves. Rub everything with the lemon. Slice the artichoke in half and use a paring knife to scrape out any fibrous "choke." If you are using preserved artichokes, you're good to go for the moment. If you are using cardoons, you will want to strip all the leaves off them and peel the larger strings off the stalks the way you might do with celery stalks. Cut them into pieces you'd want to eat with a spoon in soup and drop them into the bowl with the lemon water.
- Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. As the water is heating up, whisk in the flour until it dissolves with no lumps; this helps preserve color. Add the other half of the lemon juice and the olive oil, plus a healthy pinch of salt. Watch the pot, as the flour in it will make everything want to boil over. Once you are at a nice simmer, add all the cardoon pieces and artichokes. Simmer until everything's reasonably tender, between 15 and 30 minutes. You want there to be a little al dente bite left in the thistles. Turn off the heat and let them sit in the water for the moment.
- Prep the Meatballs. The moment you drop the cardoons and artichokes into your simmering water, put all the meatball ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Form little meatballs -- remember these are for soup, so two bites is maximum size, at least for me -- and set them on a tray. There's a good chance you'll be done making meatballs when the cardoons and artichokes are ready.
- Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil into a large pan and brown the meatballs. Set them on a paper towel to drain when they're done. Note that there's no need to cook the meatballs all the way through yet. You just want them nicely browned.
- Finish the Soup. Now you're ready to put the soup together. Heat the broth in a soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic cloves. Drain the artichokes and cardoons, rinse briefly, and add them to the soup. Add the meatballs. Note: If you're using preserved artichoke hearts and celery stalks, now is the time to put them into the soup. Let everything simmer very gently -- no boiling, or the soup will get cloudy -- for 5 minutes, then add the chopped parsley and chives. Let this cook another minute, then serve with grated pecorino or parmesan cheese over everything.
Notes
- Using homemade broth such as pheasant, chicken, or wild turkey enhances the soup's flavor.
- If small artichokes aren't available, reduce quantity to one per person and quarter the hearts.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 260 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 260kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 30g | 10% |
| Protein | 21g | 42% |
| Fat | 9g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 60mg | 20% |
| Sodium | 786mg | 33% |
| Potassium | 729mg | 16% |
| Fiber | 8g | 32% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 1791IU | 36% |
| Vitamin C | 11mg | 12% |
| Calcium | 124mg | 12% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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