Restaurant Recipe: Spinach Artichoke Soup

Many years ago, the magazine, GOOD LIVING IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS, printed a fabulous soup recipe from one of the local fine restaurants here in southern Illinois, Fratelli's Italian Ristorante. It is a creation of Chef Jayson Miller.

My cousin Angie was so kind as to make it for me one day for lunch and it was delicious!

It tasted as good as it does in the restaurant, the only difference she noted was she thought she had   pureed it too much, so it was a smoother texture as opposed to the restaurant version which a bit thicker and chunkier.

Delicious, nonetheless.

This recipe is also versatile in that oysters can be added for a nice rendition of "Rockefeller Soup".

YOU WILL NEED:
1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. red onion (small dice)
1/2 celery (small dice)
1/2 cups carrots (small dice)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups of chicken stock
1 (10 oz. package) frozen chopped spinach
1 (14. oz. can ) artichoke hearts (quartered)
4 oz. cream cheese1/2 cup heavy cream
2 oz. Parmesan cheese
2 0z. mozzarella cheese
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
reserve bacon grease
1 oz. anisette, optional
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Saute mirepoix (onions, celery and carrots) in oil and reserved bacon grease until tender (7-10 min.)
Add garlic and saute' (about i minute)
Add chicken stock, spinach and 1/2 artichoke hearts.
Increase heat to med.-high and let simmer (5 minutes)
Reduce heat to med. and puree with an immersion blender.
Add cream cheese, Parmesan, mozzarella and heavy cream, stirring until incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with crumbled bacon, diced red onion, and sun-dried tomatoes. Serve (or garnish with ) toasted crusty bread.

Her grand baby, "Little Man" liked it too!


Little Man before:




Little Man during:



Little Man after:




Give it a try.