A creamy soup, made with a light roux, the trinity, stock, milk, artichokes, fresh oysters and finished with a garnish of quartered artichoke and smoked oysters.
Oysters and Artichoke Soup
Let's start off by saying that I do realize that oysters aren't everybody's thing.
They certainly weren't a thing for me when I was younger, that's for sure, and I've shared that story here before. But... let's just say as I matured as an adult, my love of oysters grew and the holidays are certainly when they show up.
I mean, c'mon. I grew up on the Gulf Coast!
Although thanks to farming, oysters can be found here all year, their primary season starts in November and goes on through spring. Still, some folks still live by the old wives' tale to only eat oysters during the "R" months, but that was a "rule" back when refrigeration and storage were at issue.
Not surprising that oyster dishes are most popular right during these major holidays because they are at their peak flavor and you can find all of my oyster recipes by following this link.
Just a quick reminder.... if you aren't interested in the chit chat, info, photos, tips, product info and such on a blog, as always, you'll find the complete recipe text with measurements and instructions, as well as a printable document, a little bit further down the page. Just swipe or scroll down to the bottom of the post!
This Oysters and Artichoke Soup is a pretty common holiday starter when the gatherings are on the smaller side, though it's just as good throughout the season, and of course, just like everything else, everybody has their own version.
Here's what you'll need to make my version of Oysters and Artichoke Soup:
- 1 pint raw oysters, drained but oyster liquor retained
- 1 (14 ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, in brine, drained
- 1 (3-1/2 ounce) can smoked oysters, drained and patted dry with paper towels, for garnish, optional
- 1 green onion, sliced, for garnish, optional
- 1/3 cup sour cream, for garnish, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, optional
For the Roux:
- 3 slices bacon, chopped
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
- 1- 1/2 cups chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
For the Seasonings:
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1- 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
Here's how to make it!
I'm starting with fresh, local oysters from our Gulf of Mexico, of course!
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If you're familiar with my website, you've heard me talk about this dried vegetable mix from C'est Tout (#ad). Since I cook on the fly more often than I plan things, this dried trinity mix has sure come in handy! Frankly, it's sure made my life easier and I've been using it in everything and y'all... it's Certified Cajun from Louisiana too!
All you have to do is rehydrate it! I usually do mine in the microwave and boil the water first before adding the dried trinity, then returning to the microwave to boil a few minutes until it's softened.
Then you'll drain it, and, boom! You have the trinity all ready to go when it's time to sauté it in the recipe. No chopping required.
Drain oysters, but reserve the liquid; set aside.
Drain and rinse artichokes. Set aside 2 pieces for garnish and coarsely chop remaining artichokes; set aside. I love these Easy Greasy colanders (#ad) too! They are the best colanders ever.
I'm using a 3.5 quart enameled cast iron Le Creuset pot (#ad), so you'll need that size or larger soup pot, I know this is an investment piece and it took me a long time to buy one but y'all, I love this pot and I caught mine on sale!
Sauté the bacon over medium high heat.
Sauté until cooked, but not crisp.
Set aside 2 tablespoons of the butter and add remaining butter to soup pot with the bacon and drippings. Hey. Nobody said this would be low fat y'all!
Add the onion, bell pepper and celery and sauté for 4 minutes.
Add garlic and cook another minute. I'm using freeze dried garlic here.
It's another little shortcut (#ad) I've found very useful here lately when, for some reason, I wasn't able to get fresh garlic in my grocery orders! They've got a wide variety of products, including herbs and it's a mighty handy product to have on hand.
Stir in flour a little at a time until incorporated.
Cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
If you haven't already, chop up those artichokes. I just use some kitchen shears and chop them right in the colander. Important to note: I'm using plain brined artichokes, not the marinated version.
This product is yet another shortcut I keep on hand when I only need a cup or two of broth, although always be mindful of the sodium present in other products you are using. I switch between using this Maggi brand (#ad) bouillon, Better than Bouillon (#ad) or Mrs. Smith soup base (#ad) when I don't need a full quart or more.
Slowly blend in the stock or broth. You can use chicken, seafood or vegetable. Today, I'm using chicken. Again, always remember and be mindful of sodium in all sources of the products you are using in a recipe so you don't oversalt!
Once fully incorporated, bring mixture to a boil and cook until thickened.
Reduce heat, add the well-drained artichokes and oysters.
For seasonings I'm using salt, pepper, Creole/Cajun seasoning, sage, thyme, parsley and bay leaf. Stir those in.
Add the milk and evaporated milk. Because the evaporated milk is milk that has had most of the water removed, it brings an extra richness to this soup, but you can certainly just use all milk.
Stir in until fully incorporated.
I saw this idea somewhere and thought it was a pretty neat idea to use canned, smoked oysters as a garnish. Drain the smoked oysters and pat dry with paper towels; set aside.
Blend in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
Y'all, I have to show off these dishes. They are part of the Quintessential Game collection from Queen's but Spode has a Woodland collection (#ad) that's really nice too. Even though we aren't hunters, I just love these kinds of dishes, especially around the holidays!
Cover the soup and simmer on low for 5 to 10 minutes or until heated through, but do not boil. Add some of the reserved oyster liquor if needed to thin. Discard bay leaf. Grate nutmeg into soup, taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Serve right away, garnishing each bowl with a dollop of sour cream, green onion, reserved artichokes and smoked oysters, as desired.
For more of my favorite soup recipes, check out this collection on my Pinterest page!
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