Artichokes are olive green or purple rounded vegetables that look quite intimidating but are really quick and easy to cook. With two simple methods of boiling and steaming, you can get the outer leaves softens along with the artichoke heart. We have seen people wondering how to cook artichokes and here we are with the various methods to cook this healthy and nutritious vegetable.
However, eating it needs hands-on experience. The veggie has got great nutritional benefits like Vitamin C, fiber, folate, Vitamin K, iron, potassium and calcium. You can also try roasting or pressure cooking the artichokes but that needs a different kind of preparation.
Get Healthy by Knowing How to Cook Artichokes and the Best Artichoke Dip Recipe
In this blog, we have mentioned the two most common ways of cooking artichokes and how to eat the nutritious vegetable. Keep reading.
Let’s start with choosing the right artichokes, trimming and rinsing the vegetable.
How to choose the right artichokes?
Always pick the bright colored artichokes that have closely packed leaves. On picking it up, these feel heavier for their size.
How to trim and rinse artichokes?
- Follow this step-wise process to trim and rinse artichokes:
- Snip off the tips of the using kitchen scissors. Be careful as the leaves are pokey.
- Using a sharp, heavy-duty knife, cut the top of the vegetable, almost ¾ of an inch
- Now cut off the stem from the artichoke base to make it sit flat.
- Cut the bottom row (of leaves)
- Rinse properly using cold water
How to eat an artichoke?
Start pulling the leaf from the top. Pull one leaf at a time and you will see a meaty bit of flesh right at the bottom – the tastiest part of the vegetable! Dip it in a buttery dip (we got the recipe of artichoke dip in the article for you) and tear away the flesh with your teeth.
Now pull out the remaining leaves until you get to another, then another and finally the heart!
Before reaching the heart, you need to get away with the fuzzy center. Pull off all the leaves remaining and spoon out the fuzzy layer and there it is – the delicious artichoke heart. With a knife and fork, cut it out and enjoy every soft and scrumptious bite.
How to cook artichokes?
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
The healthy appetizer is quite easy to prepare and cook. Here’s the secret recipe revealed for you:
Ingredients:
- Fresh artichokes (you already how to choose the best ones)
- Garlic clove
- Bay Leaf
- Lemon slices
Cooking instructions:
- Using a pair of scissors, rip off the tips of the covering leaves. Remember, the leaves are sharp at the tips.
- Cut the artichoke top with a sharp knife.
- Now, using a small knife, cut the base stem of the artichoke to make it sit flat.
- Cutaway the last row of leaves.
- Rinse it properly in cold water.
- Fill a large pot with water to two inches and place the trimmed and cut artichokes (bottom side down). For added taste, you can add garlic clove, lemon slice and bay leaf in the pot.
- Set the stove on high flame and let it boil.
- Reduce the flame once it comes to boil and cover.
- Steam it for almost 30 minutes until it turns soft. To check if it is done, insert a tip of the knife into the artichoke’s bottom. If it goes in easily with minimum resistance, it is done. Another way to check the doneness is by pulling the outer leaf. If it comes off easily, it is cooked.
- Remove it from the water and leave it to cool down a bit.
- Serve it with your favorite dip.
Different other ways of cooking artichokes
You can also have artichokes just by boiling or steaming. You need not include both the processes. Read on to know the easiest artichoke recipes.
Boiled Artichokes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes (depends on the size of artichokes)
- Trim and rinse the artichoke (as mentioned above) and boil a pot of salted water.
- Add the prepared artichokes in the water and reduce the flame and cover.
- After 20-25 minutes take out one artichoke and place it on a plate to check if it is done. Try pulling an outer leaf and if it comes off easily, know it is done. Or else put it back in the boiling water and let it cook until done.
- Drain out the water and cool it before serving.
Note: the cooking time depends on the size of the artichokes
Steamed Artichokes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes (depends on the size of artichokes)
- Fill a pot with water in a way that it doesn’t go over the steamer basket.
- Place the basket inside the pot with the trimmed and rinsed artichokes on it.
- Cover it with a lid a d let it steam on a medium flame.
- Once you see the steam building up in the pot, let it cook until the outer leaves soften and are pulled off easily from its base.
- When done, remove the basket from the pot (use tongs and be careful) and turn off the flame. Remove the cover carefully.
- Allow the artichoke to cook a little before serving with a dip.
How to remove the heart of the artichoke?
Now that you know how to cook this delicious and easy artichoke recipe, let’s move on and talk about removing the heart from the vegetable. As you eat the outer leaves you will reach to a fuzzy layer (that’s inedible) which you can spoon out to see the gentle heart in the center.
The heart is the tastiest part of the vegetable which is tender and can be eaten with a fork and knife. You can also use the heart with salads, pizza or pastas.
What kind of sauce or dip is served with artichokes?
You can eat artichokes the way you like – plain, seasoned with salt and pepper or with a sauce/dip made at home. To add flavor to the veggie, you can have it with pesto sauce, mayonnaise, browned or melted butter, hollandaise or garlic sauce. Dip the leaves in the sauce and eat.
Cheesy Hot Artichoke Dip
We know sometimes deciding which dip to place on side of the artichokes can be quite a decision to make. So, here’s the easiest artichoke dip recipe that you can make in minutes. It is equally tasty and adds flavor to the dish.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Course: Side dish or snack
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of sour cream
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese
- Dried dill weed (as per your taste)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 8-ounce non-marinated artichoke hearts (chopped and drained)
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1 ¼ cups of grated parmesan cheese (fresh)
Cooking Instructions:
- Preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Take a mixing bowl and add cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, garlic and around one cup grated parmesan cheese.
- Blend until the mixture gets smooth
- Add the artichoke hearts and little dill weed in the bowl and stir.
- Empty it in a greased baking pan of side 8X8 inches. A glass pie dish will also be a good option.
- Sprinkle the left ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese on the top and dill weed if you want.
- Bake for 20 minutes (until bubbly).
- Best served with bread or crackers
Nutrient Content:
- Calories: 315kcal
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Cholesterol: 63mg
- Calcium: 29.4%
- Vitamin A: 21.6%
- Vitamin C: 9.8%
- Potassium: 101mg
- Protein: 12g
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 728mg
- Iron: 3.4%
