The Salad:
1 lb bag frozen artichoke hearts, halved (you can substitute jarred or canned *in water*)
1 lemon, very thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
juice of 1 lemon
1T extra virgin olive oil
pinch grey salt (or sea salt)
freshly ground black pepper
Thaw or drain artichoke hearts. Halve and place in a large bowl with lemon and onion slices. Add lemon and olive oil. Toss and refrigerate overnight. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow to come to room temperature.
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Artichoke lemon soup
Place leftovers in a saucepan. Add thinly sliced garlic (around 3 gloves). Add vegetable broth -- just enough to cover artichokes and maybe 1/2 inch. [If you don't have broth, you can make it with 1/2 onion, 1 carrot and 1 stalk of celery, roughly chopped. Put in sauce pan with a pinch of salt. Sautee in olive oil until soft. At 3-4 cups of water and simmer for 30 minutes. Add artichoke salad].
Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and transfer in batches to a blender or food processor. Pulse until a nice puree. Be careful -- hot soup expands when you blend it. Hold a kitchen towel over the lid as you blend.
Serve and top with fresh parsely and/or shaved parmesan cheese.
