Lemony Artichoke Soup

My mother-in-law’s famous lemony artichoke soup recipe is easy to make in just 30 minutes, it’s made with simple pantry staples, and it’s so lovely and flavorful!

Here today by extremely popular demand…

…my mother-in-law’s famous lemony artichoke soup recipe! ♡

Last week, I posted on Instagram about how we had to pivot on the dinner reservation that I had made weeks ago for Barclay’s birthday, and spend the day doing some creative socially-distanced celebrating here at home instead. So for a fun surprise, I messaged my mother-in-law to ask if she would send me the recipe for her famous lemony artichoke soup that Barclay has absolutely adored since childhood. And you guys, I just wish you all could have seen the moment of sheer delight on Barclay’s face when I set his bowl down in front of him. It was the cutest moment — he was thrilled! Nothing beats mom’s soup!

My Instagram inbox also instantly lit up with dozens (and dozens and dozens!) of messages from you all after I shared a quick pic of the soup, asking if we could please share the recipe. It seems like all of us could use a good bowl of this soup right now. ♡  So with big thanks to my mother-in-law, Jen, for graciously giving me the green light to share her family recipe with the world — I’m here to share her lemony artichoke soup recipe today!

The good news for all of us is that this artichoke soup is incredibly quick and easy to make in less than 30 minutes. And as a bonus — especially helpful right now while we’re all stuck at home — this recipe also happens to be sourced entirely from pantry and refrigerator staples. I’ve also included tips for how to make this soup gluten-free and/or vegan, if you prefer. And I highly recommend leaving all of those cute little artichoke petals intact, as Jen does, instead of blending them into the usual artichoke soup puree. It makes for the loveliest presentation and feels so special and decadent. And when served up with a big piece of crusty bread, my husband and I agree that there’s nothing better.

So gather up a few jars of artichoke hearts, and let’s make some lemony artichoke soup together!

Lemony Artichoke Soup Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Lemony Artichoke Soup Ingredients:

Alright, let’s chat ingredients. To make Jen’s famous lemony artichoke soup, you will need the following:

• Butter: This French-inspired soup is made with a generous helping butter, which adds a delicious richness to the soup. But feel free to use vegan butter if you would like to make this recipe plant-based, or you could reduce the amount and use olive oil if you prefer too.
• Onion, celery and garlic: Which we will sauté and later puree into the broth. (Jen’s original recipe actually calls for chopped green onions, but they are out of stock at our grocery store currently, so I just used a yellow onion instead.)
• Flour: Which we will stir into the veggies to thicken the broth. (See below for a gluten-free alternative.)
• Chicken or vegetable stock: Whichever you prefer, to use as the base for the broth.
• Bay leaves and dried thyme: To season the broth.
• Jarred artichoke hearts: I recommend buying just the plain jarred artichoke hearts, although the marinated ones would work too. Use a knife to trim and set aside the ends of the artichoke hearts, which we will puree into the broth. Then use your fingers to gently pull apart the petals, which we will add to the soup after the broth has been pureed.
• Freshly-squeezed lemon juice: Plus some extra lemon slices for garnish, if you would like.
• Salt and black pepper: For seasoning, as needed.
• Toppings: Jen always garnishes each soup bowl with a sprinkle of smoked paprika and a lemon slice. But you could also sprinkle on some fresh herbs (such as parsley, basil, thyme, chives, etc), Parmesan cheese, croutons, or even some crumbled bacon if you’re feeling indulgent.

How To Make Artichoke Soup:

To make this lemony artichoke soup recipe, simply…

1. Separate the artichoke hearts. In order to have a soup full of those lovely artichoke petals, we will first need to slice off the ends of the artichoke hearts and set them aside (we will later blend them into the broth). Then use your fingers to separate the remaining artichoke petals (just fluff them up so that they are no longer stuck together) so that they are ready to use.
2. Sauté the veggies. Sauté the onion, celery and garlic in butter until softened. Then add the flour, which will help to thicken the broth.
3. Add the broth ingredients. Add the stock, bay leaves, thyme and artichoke ends (not the petals) and stir to combine. Continue cooking the soup until it reaches a simmer, then let it simmer for about 5 minutes or so.
4. Puree. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Then — either using an immersion blender (my preference) or a traditional blender (see notes below) — carefully puree the broth until it is completely smooth.
5. Add the remaining ingredients. Add the artichoke petals and lemon juice, and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.
6. Serve. Serve warm, topped with your desired garnishes, and enjoy!

Possible Variations:

There are all sorts of ways that you could customize this artichoke soup recipe, so feel free to get creative! For example, feel free to…

• Make it gluten-free: To make gluten-free artichoke soup, simply omit the flour and use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the soup. (Just whisk together equal parts cold water and cornstarch, then add — one tablespoon at a time — to the simmering soup until it reaches your desired level of thickness.)
• Make it vegan: To make vegan artichoke soup, simply use vegan butter and vegetable stock.
• Make it richer: Jen’s original recipe actually calls for 1/3 cup of butter and 1/3 cup of flour, which will make this soup even richer (and a bit thicker) if you would like.
• Make it lighter: Or, if you would like to lighten things up, you can also omit the flour and just use 1 tablespoon of butter in the soup, which will still be delicious but will yield a much thinner broth.
• Add potatoes or beans: If you would like to make this soup a bit more hearty, feel free to add in a can of white beans or chickpeas and/or some diced potatoes.
• Add chicken: If you would like to add some extra protein to this soup, diced or shredded chicken would be a lovely addition.
• Add greens: Feel free to also stir some baby spinach or kale into this soup, if you would like to add in some greens.

More Favorite Artichoke Recipes:

Looking for more artichoke recipe inspiration? (Lol, artichokes are my husband’s favorite food, so we always are!)  Here are a few of my favorite artichoke recipes…

• The Most Amazing Roasted Artichokes
• How To Steam and Eat An Artichoke
• Lemony Artichoke Pasta Salad
• Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Tortellini Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Artichokes

Thanks again for the recipe, Jen! ♡

Lemony Artichoke Soup

4.75 from 27 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Makes: 4 -6 servings

Author: Ali

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My mother-in-law's famous lemony artichoke soup is easy to make in just 30 minutes, it's made with simple pantry staples, and it's so lovely and flavorful!  See notes above for optional ingredient variations too.

Equipment

• ▢
  Dried Thyme
• ▢
  Bay Leaves
• ▢
  Dutch Oven

Ingredients

0.5x1x2xCustom

• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
• 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 (14-ounce) jars artichoke hearts, drained
• 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
• optional toppings: smoked paprika, lemon slices, and/or chopped fresh herbs*

Instructions

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  Separate the artichoke hearts. Slice off the ends of the artichoke hearts and set them aside.  Use your fingers to separate the remaining artichoke petals (just fluff them up so that they are no longer stuck together) and set aside.
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  Sauté the veggies. Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and celery and sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.  Add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.  Stir in the flour until evenly combined and sauté for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
• ▢
  Add the broth ingredients. Add the stock, bay leaves, thyme and artichoke ends (not the petals) and stir to combine.  Continue cooking until the broth reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer.  Simmer for 5 minutes.
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  Puree. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Then, either using an immersion blender (my preference) or a traditional blender (see notes below), carefully puree the broth until it is completely smooth.
• ▢
  Add the remaining ingredients.  Add the artichoke petals and lemon juice, and stir to combine.  Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.
• ▢
  Serve.  Serve warm, topped with your desired garnishes.

Notes

Traditional blender option: Please use caution if using a traditional blender to puree the soup.  Hot liquids expand when blended, so it's very important not to overfill the blender.  I recommend blending the soup in 2-3 batches, and always be sure to tent open the lid on the cap of your blender (I loosely cover mine with a towel, in case any hot liquid splatter) so that the hot air can be released.

Gluten-free option: Omit the flour and use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the soup. (Just whisk together equal parts cold water and cornstarch, then add -- one tablespoon at a time -- to the simmering soup until it reaches your desired level of thickness.)

Vegan option: Just use vegan butter and vegetable stock.

Topping ideas: Jen always garnishes each soup bowl with a sprinkle of smoked paprika and a lemon slice.  But you could also sprinkle on some fresh herbs (such as parsley, basil, thyme, chives, etc), Parmesan cheese, croutons, or even some crumbled bacon if you're feeling indulgent.

Additional Info

Course: Soup

Cuisine: French

Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!