Sauteed Baby Artichokes

Baby artichokes, sautéed with onions and garlic, served with grated Parmesan cheese. So good!

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated March 10, 2022
Elise Bauer
Sautéed Baby Artichokes
Sally Vargas

For years I've walked by those packages of baby artichokes at Trader Joe's not willing to try them because they just didn't seem worth the effort.

I'm glad to report that I was completely wrong!

Sautéed Baby Artichokes
Sally Vargas

They actually take less time to prepare than regular artichokes because they cook up in only a few minutes versus 40 minutes for globe artichokes.

Even though they are called "baby artichokes," they aren't actually immature artichokes, but simply a different variety that reaches maturity at a much smaller size than regular artichokes.

Baby Artichokes
Sally Vargas

Unlike larger artichokes, more parts of these small ones are edible. You don't have to scoop out the choke, you can eat it with the rest of the heart and tender leaves.You can also simmer the discarded leaves in water for an hour to make an artichoke vegetable stock for soup, so nothing goes to waste.

Artichokes pair well with something acidic, such as lemon or balsamic vinegar, and something creamy, such as mayonnaise or Parmesan cheese.

Sautéed Baby Artichokes
Sally Vargas

These sautéed baby artichokes are easy to prepare and combine flavors that work naturally well with artichokes. They can be eaten alone, or mixed in with pasta or risotto, or baked on to pizza.

Sauteed Baby Artichokes

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds baby artichokes

  • 4 cups water, divided 3 cups and 1 cup

  • 4 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons), divided

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

  • 2 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced, including the green ends

  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 1 pinch herbes de Provence

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 pinch black pepper

  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, or to taste

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Method

  1. Prep the artichokes:

    Rinse the baby artichokes. Fill a bowl with 3 cups of water and add 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice to it.

    Baby Artichokes
    Sally Vargas
    Sally Vargas

    Cut off the stem of each artichoke to 1/4-inch from the base. Peel back and remove the petals until only the top third of the cone tip is pale green. Cut off the pale green tips.

    Sally Vargas
    Sally Vargas

    Trim off any remaining green from base of artichoke. Halve or quarter the artichokes, depending on their size and drop them into the bowl of acidified water (to prevent discoloration).

    Sally Vargas
    Sally Vargas
  2. Steam the artichokes:

    Drain artichokes in a colander. In a large skillet, bring one cup of the water to a boil. Add the artichokes, cover and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of the artichokes. Drain well.

    Sally Vargas
    Sally Vargas
  3. Sauté the artichokes:

    Wipe out the skillet to remove excess water. Heat to medium high and add the olive oil. Add the artichokes, onions, garlic, and herbes de Provence. Cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes.

    Sautéed Baby Artichokes
    Sally Vargas

    Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, the salt and pepper.

  4. Serve:

    Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and parsley on top.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
432 Calories
31g Fat
34g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 432
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 40%
Saturated Fat 6g 29%
Cholesterol 11mg 4%
Sodium 643mg 28%
Total Carbohydrate 34g 12%
Dietary Fiber 14g 49%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 25mg 124%
Calcium 186mg 14%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 771mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.