How to use artichoke scraps

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Artichoke scraps and leftovers are full of flesh, taste and nutrients that can be easily extracted and reused to make simple, nutritious and delicious zero-waste artichoke recipes.

In this blog post we show you how to cook and use artichoke scraps to prepare 4 delicious vegan artichoke recipes.

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Jump to:

• Ingredients & Substitutions
• Equipment
• Tips 
• Storage
• Variations
• Recipe
• Related recipes

But what are artichoke scraps? With artichoke scraps we mean the stalk, leaves, thorns, petals, and peel that you would normally throw away when you prepare artichokes.

To use them, we first wash the scraps, then we boil them for about 1 hour, and then we extract the flesh with a simple rotary vegetable mill. The result is a delicious artichoke concentrate that can be used in many ways.

In this blog post we use stalk, petals and cooking water of the artichokes to make 4 delicious zero-waste recipes: artichoke hummus, artichoke cream, artichoke mayonnaise and spaghetti with artichoke cooking water.

Ingredients & Substitutions

For the artichoke hummus

We make artichoke hummus with the scraps - leftover leaves and stems - of the artichokes. We first boiled the scraps in water, then extract the pulp with a rotary vegetable mill. Then in a blender we mix the artichoke pulp with chickpea, lemon, mint, olive oil, salt and pepper for a unique, creamy, nutritious and delicious artichoke spread.

• Artichoke scraps: to flavour the hummus we used the flesh extracted from boiled artichoke leaves and stems.
• Chickpea: we use canned chickpeas but other legumes work too.
• Extra virgin olive oil: in this hummus we use olive oil instead of Tahin. The flavour of the olive oil goes perfectly with artichoke. If you want you can replace olive oil with Tahin.
• Lemon juice: just a tablespoon to add some acidity, freshness and flavour to the hummus.
• Mint leaves: we add a few leaves of mint because mint is a perfect match to artichokes. You can replace mint with parsley.
• Salt and pepper: add both to bring out the artichoke flavour.

For the artichoke cream

This artichoke cream is made with 100% pure artichoke pulp extracted from the boiled scraps (leaves and stems) of the artichokes with a rotary vegetable mill. We only add a pinch of salt to this concentrate of flavour and nutrients. This is one of the most delicious and pure vegetable creams I have ever tasted. And it's made from artichoke waste!

• Artichoke scraps: we use the flesh extracted from boiled artichoke leaves and stems as the base for this cream. It's so delicious you won't need many other ingredients.
• Salt and pepper: add both to bring out the artichoke flavour.
• Soy cream: we add just a tablespoon of soy cream for two reasons. First for a beautiful white and green visual effect. Second, to add fat to the otherwise fat-free artichoke cream. You can replace soy cream with extra virgin olive oil.

For the artichoke mayonnaise

This is best served with deep-fried artichokes. We first make a standard vegan mayonnaise with 2 parts of vegetable oil (we like to mix 25% olive oil and 75% sunflower oil) and 1 part of soy milk. Add a dash of lemon juice, a pinch of salt then mix it with the artichoke pulp extracted from the scraps of the artichokes with a rotary vegetable mill. Delicious!

• Vegan mayonnaise: we make our own by blending together 1 part of soy milk and 2 parts of vegetable oil (75% sunflower seed oil and 25% olive oil). We then add a pinch of salt and lemon juice for a delicious vegan mayo.
• Artichoke scraps: to flavour the mayonnaise we used the flesh extracted from boiled artichoke leaves and stems.

Spaghetti aglio, olio and artichoke sauce

Another zero-waste vegan recipe, this time made with the leftover cooking water from our roman-style braised artichokes. This is so simple, yet so delicious. All you have to do is to take all the leftover cooking water of your braised artichokes, then cook some spaghetti al dente and mix it in the artichoke water. Add some olive oil, fresh parsley, and if you still have some, a few pieces of artichokes. Enjoy!

• Leftover artichoke sauce: as a sauce for this delicious spaghetti dish we use the leftover sauce from our braised artichoke recipe (carciofi alla romana).
• Spaghetti: bronze-cut Italian made spaghetti are best for this recipe. Naturally vegan and made with only hard-wheat flour and water.
• Coarse salt: to season the pasta cooking water.
• Parsley: we sprinkle it on the pasta to add freshness and colour.
• Olive oil: you might need to add a dash of olive oil to make this dish extra delicious.

Equipment

To make our artichoke hummus, cream and mayonnaise you need a rotary vegetable mill to extract the pulp from the scraps of the artichoke. You can easily find one on amazon and its a perfect tool to make really good tomato passata, mashed potatoes, and to turn any legume and vegetable into a delicious, thick and earthy cream.

Tips 

• Boil the scraps long enough: artichoke scraps are though due to their high fibre content. Boil them for at least 1 hour.
• Use a rotary vegetable mill: an old style rotary vegetable mill with a medium disc is the best tool to extract the pulp out of the scraps. You can easily get one on Amazon.
• Blend the pulp: do NOT use a blender to extract the pulp from the scraps, use a vegetable mill instead. However, once you have extracted the pulp it is best to blend it at high speed to break apart the little pieces of fibre that are left in the pulp and make the whole thing smoother.

Storage

You can store the artichoke scraps before extracting the pulp for up to a full week after you take them off of the artichokes. Just keep them in a large pot in a cool corner of your kitchen.

Once you have extracted the pulp it's best to prepare your recipes as soon as possible so that you'll get maximum nutrients. If you want to store it, do so by putting the artichoke pulp in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a couple of days.

After you prepared the recipes, they can all be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Variations

If like us you love artichokes, then here are some recipes that you can make to enjoy this delicious vegetable. Then with the scraps do as described above.

Roman style artichokes

In this blog post I show you how to clean, cook and eat artichokes like we do it in Italy. Carciofi alla Romana - or Roman-style artichokes, are a simple and yet delicious artichoke dish to serve as a starter, as a side, or as filling for an artichoke sandwich.

Artichoke pasta bake

This creamy and crunchy artichoke pasta bake is our favourite pasta bake to date. Made with sautéed artichokes, peas, and potatoes, vegan ricotta, vegan white sauce and vegan parmesan is perfect as delicious and fulfilling family dinner.

Deep-fried artichokes

Deep fried artichokes - carciofi fritti in Italian - are another Italian recipe that will make you fall in love with this delicious vegetable. I make a light batter with cold water and flour and then I deep fry them in hot sunflowers oil. (Full recipe coming soon)

Recipe

Related recipes

Will you be cooking these recipes at home? Let us know in the comments below!