Poor Man's Artichoke Stew

This is a recipe my grandmother brought with her from Trieste. It is an alternative to baked artichokes that also uses the tasty meat even from tough leaves. As kids we always thought it was fun to eat! Serve in bowls with crusty Italian bread. Artichoke leaves will be soft near the yellow bottom but still tough near the tip. Pick tough leaves out of your bowl with your fingers and nibble the soft part from the bottom. Then drag the leaf over your bottom teeth to get the artichoke meat.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 32 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 2 mins
• Calories: 149 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 4 whole artichokes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 cups chicken broth, or more to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (Optional)
• 6 red potatoes, cut into 2-inch cubes

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Cut stem off an artichoke and break off tough outer leaves. Cut about 1 inch from the tip to remove spines. Cut into quarters and remove hairy choke and spiny purple leaves. Cut heart from the choke and separate the leaves. Place leaves and heart in a bowl of water; add lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Repeat with remaining artichokes.

Step 2

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan. Drain and add artichokes; cook and stir until coated with oil, about 2 minutes.

Step 3

Transfer artichokes to a large pot. Add chicken broth and Italian seasoning. Simmer until artichoke leaves are soft, about 1 hour.

Step 4

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the saucepan. Cook and stir onion and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes.

Step 5

Transfer onion and garlic to the pot of artichokes; stir in potatoes and canned artichokes. Cook for 15 minutes. Add stewed tomatoes. Continue cooking until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes more. Divide among serving bowls.