Cold Artichoke Soup

In the heat of summer I have been experimenting with a variety of cold soups. Having had an incredibly busy past few days there was little to work with in the fridge, so I rummaged through the cupboards and found a couple of jars of artichoke hearts.

I threw them in the Cuisinart and voilá, I discovered a fantastic cold summer soup that met with raves by everyone! The embarrassingly easy recipe is below.

It is very light and refreshing, a perfect starter for a dinner salad and a crisp glass of chardonnay.

Cold Artichoke Soup

Two jars artichoke hearts, with liquid
1 clove garlic
Salt, to taste
1 Tbs sour cream
½ cup water or chicken stock
½ cup frozen peas

Garnish - coarsely ground roasted nuts or seeds
Fresh cilantro chopped coarsely

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor, puree completely. Add more liquid if too thick. Chill well before serving. Garnish with toasted nuts, I particularly like chopped toasted pumpkin seeds. Add a few cilantro leaves for color.