I’m not ashamed to admit that I was a little intimidated by artichokes. But after some thorough research, I found an all-encompassing guide to cooking the perfect artichoke.
I chose to steam my artichokes after reading that boiling can make them a little soggy. To steam, place the artichokes on top of a steaming basket over a pot of water. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until the outer leaves can easily be pulled off.
I’ve added a “recipe” for steamed artichokes at the bottom of this post that you can print off and save — if you love them as much as I do, you’ll want to keep these directions handy.
It turns out the hardest part isn’t cooking the artichokes, it’s choosing which of these dipping sauces you want to pair with them! You know what? Go ahead and make all three. It’s better to be safe than sorry!
Garlic + Lemon + Mayo
This dip was so good, I ate an entire artichoke standing at my countertop forgetting completely that I needed to photograph it first. It’s light and refreshing and if you don’t like mayonnaise, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the transformation it gets with the addition of lemon juice. Or you could substitute with greek yogurt for an even lighter option.
garlic + lemon + mayo dipping sauce
Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp mayonnaise
- zest & juice from 1/2 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- Stir together the garlic, lemon and mayo until combined.
- Serve with 2 steamed artichokes.
Browned Butter + Sage
You guys know my passion for browned butter, and this dipping sauce is no exception. The combination of browned butter and sage is a match made in flavor heaven. This sauce is perfect for artichokes, but is delicious on pasta, too!
browned butter + sage dipping sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 stick of butter
- 1/2 tsp. dried sage
Instructions
- Place butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Stir constantly, until butter is golden brown.
- Remove from heat and stir in dried sage.
- Serve with 2 steamed artichokes.
Roasted Tomato + Basil
These roasted tomatoes have been around since my She’s the Bross days. Just a few simple ingredients and a couple hours turn tomatoes into a sweet treat or in this case, a dipping sauce. I roasted the tomatoes, added the basil and a touch of olive oil and pulsed them in a food processor. This sauce would be good on pasta, toast, and pizza too!
roasted tomato + basil dipping sauce
Ingredients
- 2 vine ripened tomatoes washed
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the tomatoes in half (horizontally).
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake seed side up for 3-5 hours, or until they look nearly sun dried.
- Allow to cool, then pulse in a food processor with basil and olive oil until desired texture.
- Serve with 2 steamed artichokes.
Steamed Artichokes
steamed artichokes
Ingredients
- 2 artichokes trimmed
Instructions
- Trim stem to about 1 inch.
- Cut off top third of the artichoke.
- Place in a steam basket over a pot of water.
- Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- When leaves can be easily pulled from the artichoke, it's ready to serve!