Lemon-Artichoke Soup: Hot or Cold?

This week was supposed to be Szechuan Carrot Soup, but when the weather settled down in the nineties, it felt like something lighter was called for, so the Carrot Soup will appear a little later.

In the freezer I found a container of Lemon-Artichoke soup. It has a refreshing tang from the addition of the lemon, it is relatively easy to make in terms of having few ingredients, and is a little unusual in flavor, all recommendations for a recipe. The result was intended to be eaten hot, but I decided to try it out cold for our guests.

Much of our idea of cold soup comes from such French dishes as Vichysoise and Jellied Madrilene. Yet I have spent two sabbaticals in France, plus numerous other visits, and have never been served cold soup. It is as though the French think cold soup is a grievous culinary error, while we may think it is the height of sophistication. Perhaps the same could be said for Gazpacho, another fine cold soup that comes from another country where I have never been served cold soup. Once native tomatoes ripen, there will be a simple recipe for that, too.

The Lemon-Artichoke soup was a big hit cold, so here is the recipe, and you can enjoy it either way: hot or cold. This is one of those soups that gets pureed, so you don’t need to chop ingredients too fine. When soups are served cold, they sometimes need additional thinning so you avoid the consistency of oatmeal. Just cleaning out the container with a little extra milk may achieve the right consistency.

2 Tblsp butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, including leaves, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

pinch of thyme

½ tsp basil

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups canned artichoke hearts, drained

4 cups chicken stock or broth

juice from ½ lemon plus skin (not grated)

½ cup cream*

1. Melt butter in soup pot. Add onion, celery, and carrot. Cover and cook until soft.

2. Add thyme, basil, salt, pepper, artichokes and stock. Bring to a low boil.

3. Stir in lemon juice and add skin. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

4. Remove and discard lemon rind. Puree mixture in blender or food processor, adding ‘cream.’

5. If soup is to be served hot, do not boil.

* Unless there is leftover ½ and ½ from our daughter’s tea, or heavy cream leftover from a whipped cream dessert, when recipes call for cream, I use Fat Free Evaporated Milk. If we happen to have leftover real cream in any form, that usually calls for making a soup like Clam Chowder or Potato Leek.