Oyster Artichoke Heart Soup

This simple recipe makes a complexly flavorful oyster artichoke heart soup.

Like wine, oysters draw their rich and briny flavor from the environment where they are grown. That is the reason that there is such wide variation in the flavor. To make this oyster artichoke heart soup I use the farmed Pacific oyster. That’s the variety that is usually available at local markets here in Southern California. According to the Envoronmental Defense Fund The Pacific oyster is now the most commonly farmed shellfish both in the United States and worldwide. They rated them “best” in the eco-rank category and “low” in mercury content. Even better is that they are full flavored and have just the right amount briny flavor. Oysters are also high in calcium, iron, and protein so it’s good for you too.

Marinated artichoke hearts are an essential part of this recipe. They bring their own light punch of flavor to the soup. I use them pre-made from a jar and the sizes within one jar really vary. I like to slice them into pieces equivalent to 1/8 of a whole heart before adding them to the soup.

This recipe calls for you to add the parmesan directly to the bowl of oyster artichoke heart soup. I recommend that you do it that way because when I add the cheese directly into the sauce pan with the soup most of it winds up sticking to the bottom of the pot. You’ll get more of the cheese in the soup by adding it directly to the bowl prior to serving it.

Nutritional information was calculated using 8 pieces of artichoke hearts. That’s 2 per bowl. You can use more if you really like them. The flavor of the soup won’t be dominated by it even if you add a couple of extra pieces.

Equipment you need:

• Knife
• Cutting board
• Sauce pan
• Large spoon for stirring soup
• Ladel for serving soup