Don’t pooh pooh the idea of soup in the summer. Even in the summer you get into a dinner routine that can become dull. So why don’t you try some soup? It doesn’t heat up your house since you cook it on the stovetop, for a short time. To make it even more attractive, you use frozen artichoke hearts. Frozen.Artichoke.Hearts. What a time saver. I found this recipe doesn’t make a lot of soup. When I first made it I used a 4 quart Le Creuset dutch oven. My immersion blender couldn’t…..um…er….immerse? I would suggest using a large saucepan or a smaller Le Creuset. You could also pour the soup into a bowl and use the immersion blender. But that seems like more clean up. You can use a blender, but follow the manufacture directions for hot soup. If you have an immersion blender, use it. Clean up is very quick. I’m all about the cleanup.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 leeks, white part only, chopped and rinsed in cold water (to remove sand)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small potato, peeled and chopped

1 8-ounce package of frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

2 cups of chicken stock

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

4 ounces mascarpone cheese

2 tablespoons chopped chives, for garnish (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until softened. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute. Add the artichokes, stock, salt and pepper and cook until the vegetable are tender, about 20 minutes.

Using a handheld immersion blender, or in a blender in batches, puree the soup. Add the mascarpone and blend again to combine. Ladle soup into serving bowls, adding chives as a garnish.

Adapted from Creamy Artichoke Soup