What To Do With Artichoke Leaves?

When you eat an artichoke, there is a huge pile of leaves left.

But what can you do with all your unused leaves?

Because it makes a mess of it on the plate…and I hate that.

And throwing all that in the trash is out of the question!

So I asked Marc who runs the restaurant in my village.

He’s a great cook who always has more than one trick up his sleeve.

He knows how to cook everything we usually throw away. And I must admit that in addition to being clever, it’s super good.

In addition, these vegetables are full of virtues, it would be a shame to deprive yourself of them.

Here are 4 tips for using artichoke leaves. Look :

Can you eat the leaves of an artichoke?

When you eat an artichoke, you “scrape” the very small part that contains the flesh at the bottom of the leaf.

And, in general, we leave everything else.

For what ?

Because it’s thick and we think it can’t be eaten.

However, this is a mistake. They contain as many vitamins and benefits as the rest of the vegetable.

So why waste them?

That’s why I learned to cook them with the help of Marc, my cook friend.

Here are our recipes:

1. Artichoke leaf tea

Once the vegetable is eaten, collect all the vegetable part that has not been eaten.

Then put about 10 to 15 grams of leaves in a cup and pour boiling water over it.

Leave to infuse for about 15 minutes before filtering.

Drink quietly.

This herbal tea is diuretic and detoxifying for the body.

It also helps to digest better while avoiding bloating.

It would also act to relieve rheumatism.

I recommend that you consume this infusion at the end of a meal to take advantage of its benefits.

Do you have any leaves left?

Let them dry to infuse them later.

2. Artichoke leaf pesto

I love pesto.

I make it with wild garlic, nettles, but I had never thought of using artichoke leaves.

Marc helped me find a good recipe.

Just mix 100 g of leaves, 50 g of parmesan, 1 clove of garlic, olive oil and 25 g of walnuts, almonds and/or hazelnuts.

Cook them in water for about ten minutes and drain.

Then, put them in a blender with the parmesan, garlic and walnuts.

Mix by adding a drizzle of olive oil so that the mixture is smooth.

And now, it’s ready !

You can now season your pasta or salads with this homemade anti-waste sauce.

If you have a piece of the stalk left, you can cook it too and put it in the blender.

3. Artichoke leaf soup

Here is a detox soup that will delight those who want to lose a little weight.

It is very simple to make, full of virtues and costs almost nothing.

You will need, for 4 people:

– the leaves of 2 artichokes

– the green part of a leek

– 1 small onion

– a sprig of thyme and bay leaf

– 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil

– 400 ml of water or vegetable stock

– salt and pepper

– white wine (optional)

Cut the leek and onion into pieces and put everything in a saucepan with the butter, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring it all back.

Add the chopped leaves and continue to sauté.

Add water (and white wine) and simmer for 30 minutes.

Blend to get a nice soup.

If necessary, you can add a potato to turn the soup into a velouté.

If you have a Thermomix, the recipe is the same. Just put all the ingredients in the device.

4. A mask against oily skin

You can eat the leaves, but you can also use them for beauty recipes.

This is the one my grandmother taught me.

Mix about ten artichoke leaves with a teaspoon of honey.

When you get a homogeneous texture, spread this homemade mask on the face and neck.

Leave on for 15 minutes.

Then rinse with lukewarm water and put a bit of cream to moisturize the skin.

This mask degreases the epidermis and cleanses it.

As the artichoke contains a lot of vitamins and minerals, it strengthens it and also gives it a better appearance.

And you guessed the best?

This treatment costs nothing!

Your turn…

Have you tried these recipes for using artichoke leaves? Tell us in comments if you liked it. We can’t wait to read you!

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