Oyster Artichoke Soup

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A Louisiana classic, meaty artichokes nestled in a savory and creamy oyster broth.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Cajun, Creole, French, French-American, Louisiana

Servings: cups

Calories: 223kcal

Author: Anecia Hero

Equipment

Immersion Blender optional, but recommended

Ingredients

2 cups raw oysters with their juice (about ¾ - 1 cup of oyster juice)
3 cups water
1¼ cups finely chopped artichoke bottoms
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped sweet yellow onion
¾ cup finely chopped celery
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and white pepper to taste
½ cup half n half
chopped green onions for garnish (optional)

Instructions

READ ALL OF THE RECIPE NOTES FIRST!!!

Prep

Take the half and half out of the fridge; measure ½ cup and let it sit at room temperature
Drain oysters and reserve the juice; set aside. The juice from oysters is also called "oyster liquor"
Finely chop onion, celery, garlic and parsley; set aside
Drain and rinse artichoke bottoms; chop finely and set aside
1 cup finely chopped sweet yellow onion, ¾ cup finely chopped celery, ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic, ½ cup half n half, 1¼ cups finely chopped artichoke bottoms

Poach the Oysters

In a medium saucepan on medium heat, add 3 cups of water and the drained oysters; cook the oysters in the water for about 5-7 minutes or until they begin to curl. Drain the oysters in a fine mesh strainer, reserving the poaching water. Set all this aside
3 cups water

Make the Soup

In a large stockpot on medium heat, melt butter; add onions, celery, parsley, garlic and chopped artichokes. Cook 5 minutes or until the vegetables are softened
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup finely chopped sweet yellow onion, ¾ cup finely chopped celery, ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
Add flour to the vegetables and combine well; cook for another 5-8 minutes (mixture will be thick)
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
Add the reserved oyster liquor (juice) and the reserved poaching water to the stockpot
Using a sharp knife, chop the poached oysters into fine pieces and add them to the soup; add salt, white pepper and cayenne pepper; combine well and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes
2 cups raw oysters with their juice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Remove stockpot from heat and allow to cool 5-8 minutes
Off heat, stir in half and half; taste for seasonings and make adjustments according to your palate
salt and white pepper to taste
Use an immersion blender and puree soup until smooth (this is optional, but recommended)
Ladel soup into individual bowls and garnish with chopped green onions (optional)
chopped green onions for garnish (optional)

Notes

Oysters - Use fresh shucked oysters (with their juice) or oysters in a plastic container from the seafood section of your grocery store.

Fresh shucked oysters are usually weighed by the pound or by the dozen. Since oysters come in all sizes, it's hard to say how many pounds or dozen oysters you'll need. Ask the fishmonger to shuck enough oysters to fill a 2-cup measuring cup - and keep that oyster juice!

(In this recipe, I use 2 cups of oysters which was about 20 oysters. Again, ask the fishmonger to shuck them, reserve the juice and measure out 2 cups of oysters.

Oyster juice (oyster liquor) - fresh oysters will be packed in a liquid that's called oyster liquor. You'll need about ¾ - 1 cup of reserved oyster juice.

Poach the oysters - this step is crucial to the flavor of this soup. Since the oysters don't yield enough oyster liquor, you'll need to poach the oysters in water just until they begin to curl. This additional oyster liquor is that gives this recipe its great flavor.

A note about fresh shucked oysters: you'll want to drain them in a fine meshed collander and use your hands to feel if there's any hard shell remnants - pick those and and discard them. No one wants a chipped tooth!

Artichoke bottoms - use canned artichoke bottoms or frozen. Do NOT get artichoke hearts by mistake. The hearts are sinewy and tough to eat and the artichoke bottoms are the flavorful meaty part of the center of the artichoke. If you can't find artichoke bottoms, then omit them and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the finished soup.

Parsley - I highly recommend using fresh parsley; it gives a light hint of lemon flavor which pairs well with the artichokes and oysters. If you use dried parsley, use ½ the amount and add it at the very end, right before you serve the soup. You may want to add a little lemon juice if you use dried parsley.

Half 'n half - if you don't have it, use ¼ cup milk and ¼ cup cream.

This oyster soup can be served immediately, but this is one of those recipes that tastes better the next day. If possible, refrigerate the finished soup 2-4 hours, then reheat on low and serve.

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