Artichoke Cream Soup.

I just got Party Receipts from the Charleston Junior League this week, and then unexpectedly needed to host a party. I made this, and it is delicious. It's a wonderful special occasion soup. (As of today, October 10, 2009, Bookcloseouts.com has a few copies of this amazing party cookbook for the ridiculous price of $3.99. This is where mine came from!)

Artichoke Cream Soup

3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
6 TBSP butter
6 TBSP all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp ground thyme
2 14-oz. cans artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
2 cups half-and-half
2 egg yolks, beaten
lemon slices, for garnish
chopped parsley, for garnish

In a large stock pot, saute the onions, celery, and bell pepper in the butter until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly add the chicken broth and lemon juice, stirring until blended. Add the bay leaves, thyme, and chopped artichoke. Cover and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the half-and-half and egg yolks and mix well. Pour a small amount of hot soup into mixture and whisk to combine. Add the mixture into the hot soup, whisking well.

Remove the bay leaves. Blend the soup well with an immersion blender (or in batches using a blender or food processor) until smooth. Serve immediately, garnished with lemon & parsley. If soup needs to be reheated, do not let it boil.