Provence Artichoke Soup

• olive oil↗1 tablespoon
• chopped onions3 cups
• chopped potatoes1 1⁄2 cups
• carrots, peeled and chopped↗1 1⁄2 cups
• celery, chopped↗3⁄4 cup
• salt↗1 1⁄2 teaspoons
• bay leaves↗2
• vegetable stock (or water)↗5 cups
• artichoke hearts, cut into quarters5

  14 oz can or 9 oz frozen

• dry sherry↗2 tablespoons
• crumbled saffron1⁄3 teaspoon
• lemon juice↗1 tablespoon
• orange juice↗1⁄4 cup
• grated orange rind↗1⁄2 teaspoon
• fresh ground black pepper↗
• fresh parsley, chopped↗
• thinly sliced lemon, rounds

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Warm up the olive oil in a nonreactive soup pot. Add onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, salt, and bay leaves and saute on medium heat 10 minutes, stirring often. Add stock and bring to boil; then lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes.

2. 2

   Add artichoke hearts, sherry, and saffron to soup pot and continue simmering for 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Now stir in the lemon juice, orange juice, and orange peel, simmer for another 5 minutes. Season to taste with black pepper. Remove and discard bay leaves.

4. 4

   Serve garnished with the parsley and thin slices of fresh lemon. Enjoy!