Name: Crema di Carciofi Ester (Artichoke Soup)
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: Chopped peeled toasted hazelnuts or pine nuts or chopped flat-leaf fresh parsley or mint for garnish; 3 tablespoons butter; ¾ pound potatoes, peeled and diced, or ½ cup white rice; 3 cups vegetable broth; Milk or heavy cream for thinning; Juice of 1 lemon; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 12 artichokes; Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation info

Serves
6 to 8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Cucina Ebraica

By Joyce Goldstein

Published 1998

About

In the Jewish Italian kitchen the repertoire of dishes made with artichokes is particularly large. When I asked a woman at the ghetto market why this was the case she said, “Well, artichokes are bitter, and that’s part of our heritage.” This artichoke soup is named after Esther, Queen of Persia, and is served at Purim, a joyful holiday that commemorates her triumph over the evil minister Haman and her rescue of the Jews. While it is traditionally thickened with a besciamella, you can