Every season, nature provides us with exactly what we need to soak up great nutrition and stay healthy and focused for the weather ahead.
I LOVE spring. Not only because it’s a literal breath of fresh air, but spring is also Artichoke Season!
Have you seen an artichoke lately? Are they a magical food from the universe or what?!
So beautiful – like art, really – artichokes are best to eat in spring and summer. They’re a garden gem that truly heralds the dawn of spring.
And spring is all about letting go of winter heaviness. So let’s do it. With artichokes!
A few benefits about artichokes…
1. They’re key for renewing the body after a long, cold winter. You know the ones – when you spent way more time indoors, moving less, and eating heavy or hard to digest foods.
2. This versatile thistle (not a vegetable, as you may think) has amazing health benefits! Seriously, Artichoke benefits are endless.
3. Artichokes boost your immune system, strengthen your digestion, detoxify your body, improve liver health, and protect you against diseases like diabetes, cancer, atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and stroke.
Artichoke improves the true root of your health according to Ayurveda… digestion!
Plus, artichokes have an incredibly high antioxidant level! USDA ranks it #7 out of 1,000 plants! Can you imagine?
To see a full list of artichoke’s many benefits and nutritional value, click here.
How to Cook and Eat Artichoke to Enjoy its Full Benefits
Artichokes have to be cooked because they’re so hardy, tough and fibrous.
Prepare artichokes by steaming them, roasting them, baking them, or even boiling them. Once cooked, avoid consuming the tough parts of this plant, including its hairs.
Take a moment to appreciate the beauty and benefits of artichoke.
You can eat them to cleanse your body and… you can spruce them up for social gatherings.
Roasted or starring as a delicious dip, artichokes are perfect for a warm-weather backyard garden party, BBQ or picnic.
Artichoke’s Health Benefits
Artichokes are fat-flushing powerhouses!
Incredibly high in fiber, which makes them one of the liver’s best pals, artichoke’s alkaline qualities reduce inflammation, cleanse the blood and flush fatty, sludgy toxins from the body.
They’re rich in magnesium – a mineral we need lots of for relaxing the brain – and artichoke’s high-fiber content protects the liver by preventing re-absorption of toxins into the gut.
Not only this, artichokes are a diuretic – they reduce water retention and can even lower blood pressure by helping the body eliminate excess fluids.
The Best Way To Cook Artichokes
I love to steam artichokes because I usually incorporate them into my spring detox. But you can also bake and roast artichokes.
Roast artichokes at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. Just before baking, toss them with melted coconut oil and fresh chopped garlic. Then smatter them with fresh lemon juice and olive oil to serve – see my full recipe below.
You can also steam artichokes until they’re fork-tender and serve with an herb-infused aioli.
I love to stir together fresh chopped garlic, chives, basil and rosemary, the juice of half a lemon, really good olive oil, a Tablespoon of vegan mayonnaise and high-quality salt to make a super health-enhancing aioli.
Artichoke Benefits From Ayurveda’s Point of View
Artichokes are astringent. If you don’t have a strong digestive fire, you might have a hard time digesting them entirely, which can cause gas or bloating.
The solution… Bake or roast artichokes and serve them with olive oil, lemon, garlic, and a smattering of digestive-supporting spices like cumin and turmeric. That will make a world of difference in how they digest.
Artichokes increase Vata (air and ether) while reducing Pitta (fire and water) and Kapha (water and earth). Their elemental constitution is V+PK-.
3 Ayurvedic Recipes to Enjoy Artichoke’s Many Benefits
Artichokes on their own don’t have a ton of flavor – so it’s something you’ve got to add when you cook, eat or both.
Because artichokes are such great fat-busters, I don’t recommend that you drown them out in a ton of butter, mayonnaise or fat.
Use the artichoke hearts as a base to make a delicious artichoke dip with lemon or lime juice, avocado, olive oil, salt, and spices Like this fun party recipe!
Goddess of Artichoke Dip
VPK=
Preparation Time: 1 hour
Yield: Serves 10
5 Medium Artichokes
½ cup “Veganaise” Grapeseed Mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Fresh Grated Lemon Rind
Juice of One Lemon
1 bunch Spinach, chopped
1 teaspoon Thyme
1 teaspoon Basil
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Celtic Sea Salt and ground Black Pepper to Taste
Trim and stem the artichokes. Steam them upside down for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the outer leaves pull off easily with a slight tug. Let cool them cool for 30 minutes.
Pull off the outer leaves and set those aside. Remove the soft spiral of inner leaves from the artichoke heart and cut off just the bottom scalloped edge – about a ½ inch from the end closest to the artichoke heart. Set aside the half-inch pieces – you’ll use those in the dip.
With a spoon, remove the hairy tops of the artichoke hearts. Put the artichoke hearts, the soft scalloped edges from the inner leaves that you removed, and add all the remaining ingredients in a food processor or high powered blender.
Blend until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add additional olive oil if needed.
To serve, place “Goddess of Artichoke Dip” in a small bowl and surround the bowl with a ring of cooked, outer artichoke leaves, jicama slices, celery sticks, and spring radishes.
How To Roast Artichokes – Ayurveda Style
V+PK-
Preparation Time: 30 minutes or more – time depends on the size of your artichokes
Yield: Serves Two
2 medium-sized artichokes
2 Tablespoons ghee
Juice of one lemon – about 1/8 cup
½ teaspoon good quality, mineral-rich salt
2 teaspoons whole cumin seed, optional
4 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon asafoetida or turmeric powder
½ lemon for finishing
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, optional
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Use a sharp knife to cut the bottom stems off each artichoke. Also, remove an inch off the top of each one.
Remove any leaves close to the stem and compost them.
You might want to trim off any pointy tops on the artichoke leaves.
Slice each artichoke in half. Use a spoon to hollow out the “choke” you’ll find inside each half. Right above the artichoke heart, you’ll see a crown of hairy fibers – that’s the choke.
Melt the ghee until it liquefies. Put the artichokes in a medium mixing bowl and toss them with the ghee, lemon, salt, and optional cumin seed.
Put the artichoke halves cut side up on a parchment paper lined baking pan. Press one garlic clove into the center of each artichoke half. Sprinkle each one with asafoetida.
Flip the artichokes so they are cut side down. Add a little more ghee to the top of each one and bake for 10 minutes uncovered.
Remove the pan, cover the artichokes and cook until they are fork tender and the leaves remove easily.
Drizzle with a little more lemon juice and optional apple cider vinegar. Or, dip them into this:
Spring Lemon Butter Dipping Sauce
VP-K+
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Yield: Two Servings
2 Tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon fresh or dried rosemary leaf
Dash salt
Melt the ghee or coconut oil over medium-low heat. Remove from heat. Add the lemon juice, rosemary, and salt. Voila!
Enjoy my recipes – and the amazing benefits of Artichoke – to stay healthy and happy this spring and beyond! While you’re at it, visit my new Ayurveda shop for more Ayurvedic goods and cookbooks – with way more amazing recipes!
I hope you enjoyed this article on one of my favorite spring foods! For more like this, follow me on Instagram and join my free Facebook group, Ayurveda Every Day With Talya.
See you soon!
Love, Talya
