Artichoke Soup with Fresh Mint: Tangy Green Goodness for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

This is a quick and easy soup from Giada. Perfect to toss together and enjoy. Giada has it made as a hot soup, but I think it also does well when chilled on a warm summer day.  

Giada says, "This is a light fresh-tasting vegetarian/vegan soup with bright, clean flavors. The artichokes add texture and a lemony taste, while spinach brings its vibrant color. A little bit of mint at the end ties this all together and adds a refreshing note."

Artichoke Soup with Fresh Mint
Adapted from Giada's Feel Good Food by Giada De Laurentiis
(Serves 4) 

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 (12 oz) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup (packed) fresh spinach leaves
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint (I used 2 Tbsp)
1/2 lemon, cut into 4 wedges

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. cook the vegetables until just tender, about 4 minutes. Add the artichokes and broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the artichokes are tender, about 12 minutes.

In a blender, puree the soup, 1 cup at a time, until very smooth, adding the spinach and mint with the last cup. Return the puree to the saucepan. Mix in the remaining 1/4 tsp salt, to taste. Reheat as needed over low heat, thinning with water if too thick. 

Ladle the soup into bowls. Squeeze 1 lemon wedge over each bowl of soup before serving.

Nutrition Info (Per Serving): Calories: 134, Protein: 4g, Carbs: 15g, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 5g, Total Fat: 8g, Sat. Fat: 1g, Sodium: 279 mg

Notes/Results: I love the lightly tangy flavor of this green soup from the artichoke hearts and the lemon. It has a great velvety texture--creamy without the cream. I added an extra tablespoon of the mint as I like the coolness it adds. This one goes together easily and is fast to get on the table, making it a great starter for a light spring or summer meal. I liked it even better chilled overnight in the fridge and served cold. I would make it again. 

This soup is being linked up at I Heart Cooking Clubs where it is Potluck week--any dish from Nigel Slater or any of our former IHCC chefs. You can see what everyone made by checking out the picture links on the post. 

We have some good friends and fabulous salads waiting in the Souper Sundays kitchen, so let's take a look.

Mireille of Chef Mireille's East West Realm shares this colorful Fennel Grapefruit Salad with Beets and says, "Surprisingly, this is the second recipe I've done using similar ingredients. I actually made this salad a few weeks ago and then when putting together a dynamic Recipe Index for this blog where you can now easily search for recipes by either course or culture, I discovered I had a similar salad also using beets, fennel and a grapefruit vinaigrette. However, this version is a classier, more gourmet version and this vinaigrette has a different flavor profile, so I decided to post it anyway."

It's a healthy Dried Mulberries, Cucumber, Carrot Achar Pickle/Salad from Tigerfish of Teczcape - An Escape to Food. She says, "Though Achar can refer to Indian pickles, it is also a popular pickle/condiment in Malaysia and Singapore. I grew up with the authentic Peranakan version that is usually made with cucumbers, carrots, pineapples mixed in with spice paste (rempah), shallots, ground peanuts in a vinegar-sugar based dressing. However today I am making the easier version that allows you to have a taste of Achar without the use of rempah - meaning, you do not need to grind or pound any paste. Hopefully the switch-up of ingredients from traditional Achar will also inspire you to have your own light bulb moment."

Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog is here with crunchy Asian Peanut Slaw and says, "If you are looking for a salad to bring to party or serve at your next gathering, this could be a good replacement or addition to your traditional BBQ  salads. It's gluten free, grain free, vegan and has a wonderful flavor that everyone seemed to love. In addition, it looked beautiful and inviting. There was not one morsel left in the large bowl that my friend brought to the party! After one bite, I began to take pictures and am sharing the recipe because it was such a big hit with everyone.I loved the crunchiness of the peanuts and the Asian spices."

Sue of Couscous & Consciousness shares this sumptuous Chorizo & Calamari Salad with Black Olives and Pomegranate and says, "On a stormy night a couple of weeks ago a friend and I ventured out to dinner at The Boat Shed, an iconic Nelson restaurant, perched on the edge of the harbour. One dish that really delighted us both, and which has been on my mind ever since, was a zingy squid, chorizo and chilli salad.  It reminded me a little of a seafood, fennel and lime salad from Ottolenghi The Cookbook that I'd had bookmarked for ages. Since it's Pot Luck week this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs, it seemed like a good time to spend a little time with Ottolenghi and conjure up my own version of this salad, which is a little bit Ottolenghi and a little bit Boat Shed."
 

Thanks to everyone who joined in this week. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on my side bar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!