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4.7 from 18 votes

How to Properly Cook Artichokes

Four steps will show you how easy it is to prepare these fresh and flavorful vegetables. Don't be intimidated on how to prepare and cook artichokes!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Calories: 60 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 Artichoke
  • 3 inches Water and Lemon Slices

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. The first step is to slice off the top of each artichoke, about 1 inch deep. Since most of the “meat” is located inside the bottom of each leaf, you don’t need the tough portion on the top of the leaves. Discard these pointy pieces (or get fancy and save them for a vegetable stock!)
  2. Next, remove about one inch from the bottom of each stem. There is no real reason for this other than creating more space in the pot when you cook them. In fact, I don’t eat much of the stem at all so you could probably even remove more but I like the look of leaving a little of it intact.
  3. Grab a pair of scissors for the third step and carefully slice off the pointy tops of each remaining leaf on the outer edge of the artichoke. Be sure to carefully rotate the artichoke in a circle to make sure you don’t have any prickly pieces remaining.
  4. At this point you are now ready to cook the artichokes. My favorite cooking method is to line a steamer basket with lemon slices and bring 2-3 inches of water to a roaring boil. Place the artichokes in the pan, facing down, and cover tightly with a lid. Steam until the inner leaves pull easily and the hearts are tender about 30-35 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1g Calories 60kcal (3%) Carbohydrates 13g (4%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Sodium 120mg (5%) Potassium 474mg (14%) Fiber 7g (28%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin C 15mg (17%) Calcium 56mg (6%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 60

% Daily Value*

Serving 1g
Calories 60kcal 3%
Carbohydrates 13g 4%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 120mg 5%
Potassium 474mg 10%
Fiber 7g 28%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin C 15mg 17%
Calcium 56mg 6%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.