Vegan Italian Stuffed Artichokes

This recipe for Stuffed Artichokes is brought to you by my Italian mother. I saw some beautiful artichokes at the grocery store and knew that I needed to buy some and try this traditional Sicilian Stuffed Artichoke recipe. I thought about my mom and my grandma’s stuffed artichokes; a classic Italian comfort food that we usually eat during family holiday dinners.

JUMP TO RECIPE

Mmmm… I haven’t had stuffed artichokes in a very long time. I remember as a kid, pulling off the tender leaves and using my teeth to scrape the gooey, breadcrumb mixture. My mom would laugh and eat the roasted garlic that was stuffed into the center of the artichoke just to see the look on our faces.

After I left the grocery store with two huge artichokes, I texted my mom for her recipe. It’s probably one of the most simple recipes in the world but for some reason it was super intimidating for me. But don’t worry! I promise, it’s easy and there’s nothing to be intimidated by.

My mom’s been making this Stuffed Artichoke recipe for so long that she really doesn’t do the whole measurement thing anymore. I’m not sure if she ever actually measured anything to begin with since this recipe has been passed down for generations. Here’s how that conversation went:

See?! So simple and easy. And SO delicious! The only thing is that she obviously doesn’t make them vegan. Hmmm… so I decided to do exactly what she told me but instead of cheese, I used a cashew and nutritional yeast combo. I also added some lemon for brightness. It did not disappoint!

Matt never tried Stuffed Artichokes before so he was a little freaked out and didn’t know how to eat them. I showed him how to use his teeth to scrape the leaves and eat the yummy breadcrumb mixture. Then, once all the leaves are removed, to scrape off and discard the prickly choke to get to the most delicious part – the heart! He was so surprised by how delicious the artichoke heart was that he just near ate the whole thing when I wasn’t looking.

Try these Vegan Steamed Italian-Style Stuffed Artichokes for a delicious, hearty (pun intended. ha!), and deeply flavorful artichoke appetizer.

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Try these Vegan Italian-Style Steamed Stuffed Artichokes for a delicious, hearty, and deeply flavorful artichoke appetizer.

Course:

Appetizer

Cuisine:

Italian, Vegan

Servings: 2 large artichokes

1/4
cup
raw cashews
2
tbsp
nutritional yeast
1
cup
italian seasoned breadcrumbs*
1/2
tsp
garlic powder
1/2
tsp
dried basil
1/2
tsp
salt
1/4
tsp
black pepper
2-3
tbsp
olive oil
2
garlic cloves
1/2
lemon (juiced)

With a large knife, cut the stem off the artichoke to make a flat bottom. With scissors, cut the tips off each artichoke leaf. Then, pull the leaves slightly apart to separate and leave room to add stuffing.
In a food processor, add raw cashews and pulse until a fine meal has formed. Pour into a small bowl.
Add Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, dried basil, salt, and black pepper to bowl. Mix with pulsed cashews.
Add olive oil and mix until combined.
Over a larger bowl, using your hands, smush and stuff the breadcrumb mixture into the artichoke leaves. Keep in mind, this mixture will be enough for two large artichokes.
Once stuffed, push a garlic clove all the way down the center of the artichoke, as far down as you can. Then, drizzle lemon juice over the top.
Fill a large pot with water, enough to go about halfway up the artichoke. Add artichokes and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 60-80 minutes, or until the leaves pull out easily.

*We usually have no problem finding Italian seasoned breadcrumbs at our supermarket but, if you have trouble finding it (or if you usually make your own breadcrumbs), you can add the following spices to each cup of plain breadcrumbs:

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon parsley

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon basil

This is another clever ingredient!!