Creamy Artichoke Soup with Lemon-Garlic Croutons
from https://www.thekitchn.com/

Creamy artichoke soup is a top soup pick for spring. In this recipe, earthy artichoke hearts are simmered with aromatics, blended, and then strained to deliver a silky-smooth consistency. Finish the soup with a drizzle of heavy cream and a handful of lemon-garlic croutons to spark that fresh spring flavor.

Frozen artichokes are cooked and flash frozen at the peak of freshness, so they are as close to fresh artichokes as you can get without putting in any of the work! If your grocery store is out of frozen artichokes, three cans of artichoke hearts will work in this recipe too.

For the lemon-garlic croutons:
8 ounces baguette or unsliced sourdough bread
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 medium lemon
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:
3 (12-ounce) packages thawed frozen artichoke hearts, or 3 (14-ounce) cans whole artichoke hearts
1 small yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1 (32-ounce) carton low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more for serving

Make the lemon-garlic croutons:
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Tear 8 ounces baguette or unsliced sourdough bread into rough 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups). Place on a rimmed baking sheet.

Place 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted, 20 to 40 seconds. Prepare the following, adding each to the bowl of melted butter as it is completed: Finely grate the zest of 1 medium lemon (about 1 tablespoon). Juice the lemon until you have 2 tablespoons; add 1 tablespoon to the butter and reserve the remaining for the soup; cut any remaining lemon into wedges and reserve for serving. Mince 1 garlic clove.

Add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the butter and whisk to combine. Pour evenly over the bread and toss to coat. Arrange into an even layer.

Bake, stirring halfway through, until golden-brown and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes total. Let the croutons cool on the baking sheet while you make the soup.

Make the soup:
Thaw 3 (12-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts or drain and rinse 3 (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts. Finely chop 1 small yellow onion and mince 2 garlic cloves.

Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and artichoke hearts, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant and the artichokes are warmed through, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add 1 (32-ounce) carton low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer until the artichokes are very tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Working in batches, carefully transfer the soup to a blender and blend until completely smooth, about 1 minute per batch. Pour each batch into a large bowl once blended. Fit a fine-mesh strainer over the now-empty pot. Pour the soup through the strainer back into the pot, pressing down with a spatula; discard the contents of the strainer.

Add 1/2 cup heavy cream and the reserved 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Cook over medium-low heat until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with more heavy cream, top with lemon-garlic croutons, and serve with the lemon wedges.

Makes 6 cups