This flavorful quick and easy vegan artichoke soup with homemade parsnip chips is made with fresh artichoke hearts. A satisfying mix of smooth, creamy and crunchy.

I’ve decided I need to eat more soup. I love soup, I just don’t make it often enough. And since we’re in prime soup season, I decided I’d better get to sharing more   light and healthy dairy-free soup recipes on the blog, too.

It’s a win-win for me; I make more soups to shoot and post to the blog, and I get to eat them afterwards.

Kick off soup season with this Vegan Artichoke Soup with Parsnip Chips!

Artichokes are (and will always be) my absolute favorite vegetable. Their earthy, slightly sweet flavor quite literally makes my mouth water- anyone else know what I’m talking about??

They hold a nostalgic sway over me as well. I have countless memories of fighting with my mom and sister over who got the biggest piece of the heart at the dinner table.

For some reason my dad is not present in these memories…I guess he wasn’t an artichoke fanatic like the ladies of the family? And oh, what a gleeful occasion when my mom would bring home an individual artichoke for each one of us.

Not to mention there’s just something about the act of eating artichokes, with your bare hands, dunking the leaves gluttonously into melted butter (or mayo, if that’s your thing), scraping off the meaty flesh with the back of your teeth and then unceremoniously discarding the scraps. It’s a glorious, barbaric mess and I am very into it.

In fact, I decided awhile back that if I ever get another tattoo, it will be of an artichoke, most likely on my inner forearm. So there you go, official artichoke freak.

Why you will love this creamy artichoke soup: 

If you are a artichoke super fan like me there is no better way to capture their tantalizing flavor than in a soup. According to John, this Artichoke Soup with Parsnip Chips “tastes like drinking artichokes”.

I am all about cooking light dinners in the run-up to Thanksgiving and Christmas to avoid piling on too many pounds before the holiday season even starts. This artichoke soup is made without dairy products, making it lower in calories.. 

I love its pretty green color and the deep earthy flavor and silky creamy texture! 

It’s made with trimmed artichoke hearts (fresh, not frozen), leeks, shallots and potato. I also add some fresh lemon juice to this vegan artichoke soup recipe. The bold flavors of lemon and artichokes brings this creamy vegan soup alive.

And because I like some texture with my smooth vegetable soups, it’s topped with thinly sliced, fried parsnips.

If I were you I’d make extra for snacking, because I definitely ate them all immediately, leaving no crunchy toppings in sight for the second helping of our soup, which was a little bit sad.

Tips for making this vegan artichoke soup recipe: 

• Do save the artichoke leaves for steaming and dunking into butter. #zerowaste! 
• Make sure to blend your artichoke soup long enough so that all the fibers disappear completely. This usually takes a full minute of blending.
• This soup freezes well, so go ahead and make a big batch while you’re at it. You’re going to want to, trust me.

Recipe Variations: 

• If you want, you could add some coconut cream or coconut milk to this soup to make it richer.
• Using frozen artichoke hearts would work too. 
• For a artichoke spinach soup, add 2 cups of spinach leaves during the last 5 minutes of cooking time. Then blend. 
•  I highly recommend making this artichoke soup with buttery Yukon gold potatoes. But russets or red potatoes would also do.

How to choose artichokes: 

When at the grocery store, lift a few artichokes up to feel their weight. Select one that feels heavy and solid. The lighter ones are probably older. The leaves should be thick and tightly closed and of a vibrant deep green color.

The leaves should squeak when you rub them together. Generally, the smaller the artichoke, the more tender and sweeter they will be. Larger artichokes, however, will obviously have larger hearts and the hearts are the best part of the artichoke.

How to store artichokes:

Store the artichokes in the refrigerator where they will keep for up to a week.

Thanks for reading! To keep up with me in the kitchen, follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. If you make this Artichoke Soup with Parsnip Chips, don’t forget to share it using the hashtag #LePetitEats!

5 from 4 votes

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Artichoke Soup with Parsnip Chips

This flavorful vegan artichoke soup with parsnip chips, made with fresh artichoke hearts, is a satisfying mix of smooth, creamy and crunchy.

Course Soup

Cuisine Vegan

Keyword artichoke soup without dairy, homemade parsnip chips, vegan artichoke soup recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 250 kcal

Author Denisse

Ingredients

FOR THE SOUP:

• 5-6 fresh artichoke hearts roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 leek white-and-light green parts only, sliced and rinsed
• 3 garlic cloves chopped
• 1/2 cup shallots chopped
• 8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and diced (about 2 medium)
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs thyme plus more for garnish
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• Salt to taste to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

FOR THE PARSNIP CHIPS:

• 1 parsnip peeled and thinly sliced on a mandolin
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• Flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Cook the artichoke hearts, leek, garlic, shallots in butter: Melt the butter in a large, thick-bottomed pot on medium heat. Add the artichoke hearts, leek, garlic, and shallots. Cook until tender.

2. Add potatoes, stock, bay leaf and thyme. Bring soup to a gentle boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, or until vegetables are fork tender.

3. Discard the herbs, then purée the soup using an immersion blender or a regular blender (if using a regular blender cool the soup slightly, remove the lid insert and cover loosely with a kitchen towel while blending to prevent a blender explosion!) 

4. Stir in salt, pepper and lemon juice, tasting and adjusting as necessary.

5. Place a wire rack on a large, rimmed baking sheet and line the rack with 2 layers of paper towels. Heat the canola or vegetable oil in a large saucepan until the oil registers 325° on a deep-fry thermometer. Meanwhile, using a mandolin, slice the parsnips into thin coins.

6. Working in batches, carefully drop handfuls of the parsnip ribbons into the hot oil and cook the ribbons over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the ribbons turn a deep honey color, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon or skimmer, transfer the parsnips to the paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Let cool completely.

7. To serve, divide soup evenly amongst bowls. Top with parsnip chips and thyme leaves.

Recipe Notes

• Do save the artichoke leaves for steaming and dunking into butter. #zerowaste! 
• Make sure to blend your artichoke soup long enough so that all the fibers disappear completely. This usually takes a full minute of blending.
• This soup freezes well, so go ahead and make a big batch while you're at it. You're going to want to, trust me.

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