Learn how to properly steam artichokes and get the recipe to our spicy mayonnaise dip! It's easy and so delicious.
It’s crazy that it’s taken us over three years to post a recipe/tutorial on the proper way to steam artichokes. We did post a grilled artichoke recipe, you can get it here, but I guess we thought that steaming artichokes was too basic. We were wrong.
A few days ago a friend of mine was talking about an amazing experience she had at a restaurant while traveling through the Pacific Northwest, and how delicious the steamed artichokes were. She proceeded to say that she would love to make them at home, but she wouldn’t know where to begin. Her statement surprised me, because who doesn’t know how to steam an artichoke? This was one of those moments that reminded me that just because I think something is basic and simple, doesn’t mean that others do. So if you know how to properly steam artichokes, you can skip right to the creamy and delicious spicy mayonnaise recipe, but, if you’ve never steamed artichokes before because they seemed to intimidating, let me walk you through the simple and easy process. After this, you’ll be an artichoke steaming pro!
HOW TO PREPARE AND STEAM ARTICHOKES
Preparing and cooking these pretty thistles is easy, you just have to be careful not to prick yourself with their sharp thorns while getting them ready for the steamer. Here are the three things you’ll need to do to make a perfectly delicious steamed artichoke.
- Rinse the chokes, remove the stem, and trim about an inch off of the top of the artichoke so it looks like the picture below. Make sure you use a sharp knife, because raw artichokes are tough.
- Snip the thorns off of the leaves and spread the leaves open, then rinse the artichoke again to make sure that you remove any dirt that might be stuck in the leaves.
- Put the artichokes in a pot with a steamer basket and pour the garlic and oregano mixture on top. Add the lemon slices and steam for approximately an hour, or until the meat at the end of the leaves is tender.
See, so simple and easy.
Preparing and steaming artichokes isn’t something that you need to leave to professional chefs, you can definitely make them at home. They’re so yummy and they’re also really healthy. Did you know that the USDA ranked the artichoke number 7 in antioxidant content out of 1000 plant foods? How awesome is that?! Read more about the nutritional benefits of artichokes here.
You can eat them as is, or, you can dip them. Many people dip them in garlic butter (vegan of course), but we like to go a bit more exotic. Our creamy, slightly smoky, and spicy vegan mayonnaise is the perfect condiment for dipping those artichoke leaves into. Made with your favorite vegan mayo and smoked paprika, garlic powder, and a pinch of cayenne pepper, this is an exciting addition to the mild flavor of artichokes. It’s especially good with the tender artichoke heart that you’ll find at the bottom of the choke.
Make these and let us know what you think. We can’t wait to hear.
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How To Steam Artichokes With A Spicy Mayo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 to 4 artichokes
- ¼ cup 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves crushed and minced
- 2 tablespoon 30 g minced fresh oregano
- 1 lemon sliced
- FOR THE SPICY MAYO
- 1 cup 223 g vegan mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper only if you like spicy
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Combine the olive oil, garlic, and oregano in a small bowl.
- Rinse the artichokes and cut the stem and about 1 inch of the top of the artichoke off. Trim the thorns off of each leaf and pull the leaves open so you can rinse the interior of the artichoke. This ensures that you’ll get all of the dirt out of the chokes. Nobody likes sand in their food.
- Put a steamer basket in a large pot and fill with water to just below the top of the basket. Put the chokes in the basket, spread the olive and garlic mixture on the tops of the chokes, put the lemon slices in the pot, and bring the water to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to simmer. Simmer for approximately one hour, or until the leaves begin to fall off and the meat at the end of the leaves is tender.
- FOR THE SPICY MAYO
- In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and salt and stir until it’s smooth and creamy.
- Dip the artichoke leaves and the heart in the dip and enjoy!
Ella Wilson says
As a matter of first importance we should discuss selecting the best one. It's extremely very straightforward. Search for the one that is the most thick. At the end of the day the leaves are firmly squeezed together and the artichoke itself is more round then oval (normally the fattest). These will have significantly more leaves with meat and exceptionally top notch.
Linda Meyer says
Great tips, Ella. Thank you!
Christine says
Cook artichoke is a project. Eating it is another project. But I love it! And that spicy mayo sounds delicious.
Linda Meyer says
A delicious project! 🙂 Thanks, Christine.
Strength and Sunshine says
Love steaming artichokes, but I haven't in a very long time! One of my mom's favorites though, that's for sure!
Linda Meyer says
They're so good, and so good for you. 🙂
Dianne says
I've never made artichokes myself! It always seemed too complicated, but you make it look so easy! I need to give it a try.
Linda Meyer says
They're so easy to make, Dianne. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Sarah McMinn says
Thank you for this post! I'm so intimidated by artichokes that I never eat them fresh. Thanks for making it simple and straight-forward.
Linda Meyer says
You're welcome, Sarah! It's so much easier than you'd think. I hope you give it a try.
Sarah Newman, Vegan Chickpea says
Thank you for this! I only tried steaming artichokes once and it was a disaster for some reason! Can't wait to try again because I love artichokes 😀
Linda Meyer says
You're welcome, Sarah! I hope you let me know how it goes the second time around. 🙂
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
This sounds great, love the sauce recipe! I'm such an artichoke fan, but never buy them enough for some reason. Thanks for reminding me to add them to my shopping list and can't wait to try this.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you! I make them often, but I never realized how nutritious they are until I did a little research.