Stuffed artichokes

These succulent artichoke hearts are stuffed with a tasty Italian-style breadcrumb filling and then cooked in two stages so that they stay deliciously moist inside and out with a crispy golden gratinated top! Savoury vegan stuffed artichokes are perfect as a starter, or as an entrée if you like to eat your vegetables Italian style. Your guests will love them! Tasty and nourishing, they will leave your friends and family feeling pampered and satisfied. Serve them on a festive occasion, for a Sunday lunch or for a special night in.

This recipe uses fresh artichokes, which are first hollowed out and then stuffed with a breadcrumb filling infused with garlic, vegan parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Cooking the artichokes in two stages ensures they stay deliciously moist, with a crispy golden top.

About this recipe

First, the stuffed artichokes are slowly stewed in white wine and vegetable broth on the stovetop. Then, when the artichokes are cooked through, they are transferred to an oven dish and gratinated in a hot oven for the last 10 minutes. The resulting artichokes are tender and succulent. The breadcrumb top, in contrast, is deliciously crunchy and delicately cheesy. The white wine and vegetable broth evaporate and reduce during cooking, resulting in a naturally thickened sauce infused with the flavours of all the ingredients in the recipe.

The great advantage of stewing the stuffed artichokes before roasting them is that they become so tender that the whole lot is edible. No dried-out, semi-burnt leaves that you have to peel off and discard! Everything you see in the photos on this page, we ate. There was no waste at all and they tasted divine!

Characteristics and health benefits of artichokes

To us, artichokes (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) are classed as a vegetable, but, in actual fact, they belong to the thistle family. The plant originates from the Mediterranean and has been used for its potential medicinal properties for centuries. Artichokes are believed to aid digestion and have beneficial effects on the digestive system in general. Allegedly, they also lower blood sugar levels and improve heart and liver health.

Artichokes are low in fat, high in fibre, and loaded with vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, folate, phosphorus, and magnesium. They are also rich in antioxidants.

Artichoke season

Artichokes come into season in the winter in Europe. They usually first appear at markets and in greengrocer’s around Christmastime. In fact, they often appear on Christmas menus in Italy because they are considered a delicacy. The season is long – we are still getting artichokes now in May and I’ve eaten them countless times so far this year. During the glut, the Italians get busy preserving them in jars of olive oil so that they can enjoy them for the rest of the year. Artichokes usually disappear in late May when the weather starts to get hot.

How to cook artichokes

Artichokes are tasty, versatile vegetables that are best prepared in a simple manner to allow their natural flavour to shine through. Fresh artichokes can be sliced thinly and eaten raw, seasoned with just a little extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, or as an addition to salads. They are also delicious roasted, or sautéed (with or without other ingredients). One of my favourite dishes is sautéed artichokes and potatoes! Some people fry artichokes or stuff them, as I did in this recipe.

How to make Italian-style stuffed artichokes

Ingredients

You’ll find the exact quantities of each ingredient in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

• Artichokes – Any kind of fresh artichoke is suitable for this recipe. Calculate one artichoke per person as a start or two if you are serving them as an entrée. Some artichokes are much larger than others, so use your discretion regarding the portions. The ingredient quantities in this recipe are sufficient for 8 medium-sized artichokes.
• Breadcrumbs and/or bread – The soft centre of sourdough bread is great for stuffing these artichokes because it has a springy texture that doesn’t become pasty when wet. The bread you choose should still be moist. Crumbs plucked from the inside of one-day-old white bread are the best option. That way, the bread absorbs the moisture, and the flavours meld. Don’t use shop-bought breadcrumbs for this recipe; they’re far too dry.
• Vegan parmesan cheese – Use your favourite brand or make your own. Here on Vegan Hot Stuff, you’ll find my recipe for vegan parmesan cheese – 4 ingredients and 5 minutes to make it. If you want, instead of parmesan cheese, you can use a tablespoon of nutritional yeast flakes.

• Parsley – Chopped fresh parsley is best. If you don’t have any, you could use dried, or substitute parsley with thyme.
• Oil – I use extra virgin olive oil. You can use a different kind of oil if you want, but make sure it’s of good quality.
• Garlic – You’ll need two cloves of garlic: one minced for the filling and one crushed for the white wine sauce.
• Salt – I use Guérande unrefined sea salt for all my cooking.
• Pepper – Freshly ground black pepper will give you the best results in this recipe

Method

For step-by-step instructions with photos, see the recipe card below.

Trim the artichokes

• Trim the artichokes and cut off the stem. Cut off the top third completely. Peel off the darker outer leaves, until you get to the lighter-coloured, tender leaves in the middle. Gently prise the artichoke open, insert a teaspoon and scoop out the centre – remove the pink-tipped leaves and dig out the fuzzy choke. Slice off a bit of the bottom of the artichoke so that it sits flat. Don’t cut off more than absolutely necessary because the bottom is the best part of the artichoke.

prepare the filling and stuff the artichokes

• Pluck crumbs from the inside of the bread and place them in a bowl. Add ¾ of the vegan parmesan cheese, the oil, minced garlic and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
• Mix the ingredients with your hands, squeezing them so that the bread absorbs the oil and seasonings.
• Stuff the artichokes with the filling, pressing it in with your fingers or a spoon. Fill all the artichokes and put them on a plate or in a dish.

How to cook the stuffed artichokes

• Crush the second clove of garlic and put it in a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil The pan should be just big enough to hold all the artichokes. Sweat the garlic on a low heat for a couple of minutes, or until it’s just starting to brown.
• Add the artichokes and pour the wine in between them. Turn up the heat and reduce the wine by about ¾.
• Pour in half of the broth between the artichokes so as not to wash the crumbs off the top (I use a funnel).
• Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, take the lid off and add the rest of the broth. Cook on a medium heat for another 10 minutes with the lid off to reduce the broth.
• Preheat the oven to 220 – 230 °C.

• Transfer the artichokes and their broth (including the clove of garlic) to a casserole or oven dish.
• Place on the 3^rd shelf of the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes, get the dish out and sprinkle the rest of the vegan parmesan cheese over the filling.
• Put them back in the oven and bake until the filling is golden brown and crunchy on top.
• Remove from the oven. By now, the white wine and broth will be reduced to a very tasty, naturally thickened sauce.
• Transfer the artichokes and the sauce to a serving dish or individual plates and serve immediately.

How to serve stuffed artichokes

You could serve these vegan stuffed artichokes as a warm starter at the beginning of a special meal. Or, if you like eating Italian style, they’d be equally as appropriate as an entrée after a first course of risotto, pasta or gnocchi – the way the Italians serve vegetables. To accompany them, you need nothing more than a slice of crusty bread to mop up those delicious juices!

How to store stuffed artichokes

I seriously doubt there will be any leftovers! There never are at our house, but then again, not everyone is as gluttonous as we are! If you do have any uneaten stuffed artichokes, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge, where they will keep for 3 – 4 days. I don’t really recommend freezing them, as it will impair the flavour and texture when you defrost them. However, it is possible to freeze them, and they will keep for a couple of months in the freezer.

I hope you like this recipe for vegan stuffed artichokes! If you do, it would be great if you could give it a star rating and leave a comment below! It helps other readers to find my content and posts and ultimately makes my blog more successful! Thanks so much for your support! Deborah xx

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