Artichoke Soup with Camembert Crostini

I discovered this soup recipe out of necessity.  Since we will be moving to Michigan for the summer, I must (have to!) clean out my freezer before we leave.  So I've been slowing working through what is in there and making dinner/lunch based on "what do I have."  Well, I had half of a bag of frozen artichoke hearts in there that I didn't know what to do with.  Frozen artichoke hearts are not my favorite food, which is likely why they are still in my freezer :)  Anyway, I had to find some creative way to fix them.

So I pulled out my favorite soup cookbook and sure enough, there were a couple of artichoke soup recipes in there, but I thought this one sounded the best.  And actually, it was really good!

Artichoke Soup with Camembert Crostini
Serves 6
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 small russet potato, peeled and finely diced (Do you know how hard it is to find a "small" russet potato?!)
8 oz frozen artichoke hearts
2 cup chicken broth
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the Crostini
12 thin baguette slices
2 oz Camembert cheese at room temperature

NOTE:  Try Brie, St. André or a soft goat cheese in place of the Camembert.  Serve extra crostini and a bottle of Pino Gris at the table for a light spring dinner.


In a large sauce pan, warm the oil over medium high heat.  Add the onion and the garlic and sauté until translucent, about 5 minuts.  Add the white wine and potato and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the artichoke heats and broth an bring to a boil.  reduce the heat to low and simmer until the potato is very tender, about 20 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender or food processor.  Return to the saucepan and season with salt and pepper.

To make the crostini, preheat the broiler to high.  Top each baguette slice with a thin slice of Camembert.  Place on a baking sheet and broil until the cheese melts slightly, 1-2 minutes.

Serve, topping each bowl with 2 crostini.

NOTE:  Since I didn't have a baguette on hand, but I did have a good loaf of homemade bread, I used the bread instead and topped it with Brie cheese, again, because that was what I had.  It turned out just fine :)

Buon Appetito!