How do I eat grilled artichokes?

It's easiest to pull the outer leaves off one by one, dipping the leaves in salsa or sauce. Then use your teeth to scrape off the tender flesh. When you get to the inner leaves and heart, you can eat these whole!

What do grilled artichokes taste like?

Fresh grilled artichokes have sweet and smoky flavor, and the Italian salsa verde adds a lovely tangy, bright taste.

Are artichokes healthy?

Low fat artichokes are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They are especially high in folate and vitamin C, as well as magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. Artichokes even have protein!

Grilled Artichokes

Description

Grilled artichokes are easy and incredibly delicious! Skip the butter and aioli and serve them up Italian style with Italian Salsa Verde. A tasty vegan side dish that presents beautifully!

Ingredients

Units

2 large artichokes
optional: 2 garlic cloves, bay leafs (or thyme or sage leaves) and lemon slices

Italian Salsa Verde

1 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 fat garlic clove, grated
1 tablespoon capers,
1/2 cup olive oil
1–2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and black pepper to taste
optional: 1/4-1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
optional: 1-2 anchovies, finely minced

Instructions

Place a large pot on the stove with just enough water to just come up to a steamer basket placed inside. To the water add the optional lemon slices, garlic cloves and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer.
Prep the artichokes: With a sharp knife, trim off the sharp tips and remove any small, tough outer leaves. Trim the stems. Using a spoon, scoop out the thin hairs nearest the heart.
Place the artichokes in the steamer basket, cut sides down, layering if necessary. Bring the water to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat for 25-45 minutes, depending on size. Steam until just tender. To test, just pull off a leaf; it should pull off with a gentle tug. Let cool. (At this point, you could refrigerate for up to 3 days before grilling.)
While the artichokes are steaming, make the salsa verde. Place everything in a small bowl and mix well.
Preheat the grill to medium, and grease the grates well.
Lightly brush the artichokes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the artichokes open-side down on the grates, cover, and grill until good grill marks appear and they are heated through. Flip and grill 2 minutes, before placing on a platter, open side up.
Spoon the salsa verde over the artichokes and nestle some into the heart heart area- you wont need all. Serve the artichokes with the remaining salsa verde on the side with slices of lemon or lemon wedges.

Notes

The artichokes can be steamed up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated before grilling. Leftovers will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Reheat in a 350 F oven.

Salsa Verde Aioli: If you are craving richness, you can mix some of the leftover Italian salsa verde into mayo or vegan mayo and create a herby aioli to dip the leaves in. This is a super tasty dipping sauce!

Nutrition

Serving Size: ½ a large artichoke
Calories: 160
Sugar: 0.8 g
Sodium: 240.4 mg
Fat: 14.4 g
Saturated Fat: 2.1 g
Carbohydrates: 8.7 g
Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 2.3 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg