Sous Vide Artichokes with Yogurt Sauce

Perfectly tender sous vide artichokes complemented by a creamy yogurt sauce made with the ingredients from the cooking bag.

Have you ever struggled or felt intimidated to cook artichokes? I certainly have. Not anymore, though. Why? You guessed it—I dunk the artichokes into a sous vide bath. The reason for cooking artichokes sous vide is obvious—it simplifies things considerably. 

Before we get into it, I need to tell you this: These beautifully tender sous vide artichokes are a versatile choice as either a sophisticated appetizer or a refined side dish for your main courses. Serve them with a homemade yogurt dipping sauce—its creaminess and hint of zest complement the subtle, earthy flavor of the artichokes exquisitely.

Why Sous Vide Artichokes?

There are two main reasons.

• Texture in artichokes is paramount. Sous vide cooking transforms artichokes into a tender, flavor-packed delight. This method cooks them at a consistently low temperature, ensuring each artichoke is perfectly cooked without the fibrous texture that overcooked artichokes often suffer from. By putting them in a vacuum-sealed bag, the flavors from other ingredients, like the lemon and garlic in the recipe below, infuse deep into the artichoke.
• It helps to preserve the nutrients. The controlled environment of sous vide ensures that the artichokes cook evenly and helps preserve the nutrients that are often lost during high-temperature cooking methods. Artichokes are packed with fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins. You’ll want to get the most out of every bite. More on the benefits later. 

Sous Vide Artichokes Temperature and Time

Setting your sous vide machine to 185°F (85°C) and cooking for 1.5 hours brings the artichokes to the apex, where fibers break down into tender submission, but not a bit further, safeguarding against a soggy disaster. 

What You’ll Need 

Essential Ingredients 

You only need seven ingredients.

Not all parts of an artichoke are edible, especially the large, full-grown ones called globe artichokes. So a little preparation is required before cooking. 

Choosing and Prepping Artichokes

Choosing the right artichokes for sous vide is essential. Aim for artichokes that are dense and heavy for their size, a sign that they are fresh and well-hydrated. The leaves should be tightly closed with a vivid green color, ideally without any brown spots or dried-out sections.

To prepare your artichokes for sous vide cooking, 

1. Prepare a large bowl of water and squeeze the juice of a lemon in it. 
2. Pull off and discard any tough or blemished outer leaves.
3. Cut off the stem, leaving about half an inch.
4. Remove the top third of the artichoke with a sharp knife.
5. Put the trimmed top down on the cutting board for stability and cut the artichoke in half.
6. Use a metal spoon to remove the choke, the hairy part of the artichoke. 
7. Rub lemon all over the cuts.
8. Keep prepared artichokes in lemon-infused water. The main purpose of this is to stop the oxidation process so the flesh doesn’t turn brown.

Keeping artichokes intact is crucial for even cooking in a sous vide setup. If you use smaller artichokes, you can leave them whole. Whole or evenly halved artichokes will cook more consistently, offering a uniformly tender texture.

Essential Equipment

• A sous vide immersion circulator. I used an Anova Precision Cooker to cook the artichokes.
• A large pot or a sous vide container. I use an Anova sous vide cooking container, which holds up to 16L of water with a removable lid and a rack. I used the rack to weigh the artichokes down to ensure they were completely under the water for the entire cooking time. You can also use a large and deep soup pot and tilt the lid to weigh down the artichokes if necessary.
• A vacuum sealer. When it comes to sous vide vegetables, I’d highly recommend using a vacuum sealer as it produces the best results. 
• Pre-cut vacuum-sealer bags. I used 6*10-inch pre-cut vacuum sealer bags from Avid Armor. One bag holds two halves of my artichokes perfectly. If you wonder how to choose the right bags to sous vide different foods, read Sous Vide Bags 101.
• A cast-iron or heavy-duty skillet. To finish the artichokes, sear them in a heavy-duty skillet. This one is my go-to all-purpose pan at the moment. 
• A good knife. A good knife is absolutely essential to a StreetSmart Chef. I used my favorite Global knife to trim and cut my artichokes.

How to Sous Vide Artichokes Step by Step

1. Preheat water to 185°F (85°C) using a sous vide machine.
2. Prep artichokes according to the guidelines mentioned above. 
3. Season the artichoke halves with salt and pepper. 
4. Place one tablespoon of unsalted butter and one garlic clove in the center of each artichoke half. 
5. Put the prepared and seasoned artichokes in one or two sous vide bags. 
6. Submerge the bags when the water reaches the set temperature. 
7. Put a heavy object over the artichokes to weigh them down if necessary. 
8. Once cooked, remove the artichokes from the bag(s) and pat them dry. Give them a quick sear in a hot pan to finish up. 

Crafting the Perfect Yogurt Dipping Sauce

For the perfect yogurt dipping sauce that complements the sweet, nutty flavor of artichokes, you need only six ingredients, and two of them are already in your sous vide cooked artichoke bags. 

Ingredients:

• 4 cloves of sous vide garlic from the artichoke cooking bags 
• 2/3 cup sous vide yogurt or plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter (from the artichoke bags. If not enough, you can melt more in a microwave.)
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Juice of half a lemon

In a bowl, smash the reserved sous vide garlic cloves into a paste using a pestle or the end of a rolling pin and add the remaining ingredients, followed by the lemon juice to thin. Whisk until smooth and fully integrated. 

Serve chilled or at room temperature alongside your artichokes. This easy-to-prepare, flavorful dip elevates the taste and tosses in some health benefits with its good fats and proteins from the very best yogurt—homemade sous vide yogurt. 

A Closer Look at Artichokes

Did you know that an artichoke is an unbloomed flower, a part of the sunflower family? Did you also know that artichoke is one of the oldest foods known to humans? 

On top of that, there are superior nutrition benefits in this edible flower bud. 

First and foremost, they are loaded with probiotics and prebiotics. Often referred to as “good bacteria”, probiotics are similar to the bacteria found naturally in the body; prebiotics such as the inulin in artichokes stimulate the growth and health of these probiotics. Both probiotics and prebiotics positively impact the composition of the gut microbiome, leading to improved immunity, digestion, and nutrient absorption, AKA a healthy gut. 

The high probiotics and prebiotics levels found in artichokes also help combat fatigue and promote increased energy because poor gut flora has been linked to decreased nutrient absorption and therefore less efficient energy production.

Did you know that artichokes are ranked number one over all other vegetables when it comes to antioxidant levels, including anti-inflammatory antioxidants? Extracts of artichokes have long been used as a digestive aid to reduce irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms. 

Furthermore, just one medium artichoke contains almost 20% of the recommended daily intake of magnesium, and we know that magnesium promotes better sleep. 

What other superpower has this flower bud got? 

Oh, fiber! Artichokes are a great source of fiber. The inulin in artichokes I mentioned earlier is actually a fiber that also acts as a prebiotic. It helps keep your digestive system healthy.

These are just a few main health benefits of artichokes. There are many more. 

To sum it all up, artichokes are low in fat, high in fiber, and loaded with vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, folate, phosphorus, and magnesium. Because artichokes are free of gluten, grain, dairy, nut, and nightshade and low in carbohydrates and fat, they fit into any diet and lifestyle. 

I recommend adding artichokes to your meal rotation. Armed with the sous vide technique, ins and outs, and preparation tips, you have no excuse not to cook them.  😉 I eat them as a snack and serve them with sous vide steaks as a side dish. 

Do you like this recipe? How did you serve your artichokes? As always, let me know what you think in the comments below. 

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