"This is a tangy and thick soup that makes a wonderful and elegant appetizer or first course. Created for RSC. Thank you to Mom2Rose for putting this in her best of 2009 cookbook!"

Ingredient :

• ¹⁄₂tablespoon olive oil
• ¹⁄₈white onion, finely chopped
• 1garlic clove, minced
• 1shallot, minced
• 2cups marinated artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
• 1 ¹⁄₄cups chicken broth or 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
• ¹⁄₄cup champagne or 1/4 cup white wine
• 1tablespoon brandy
• 3tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated (fresh) or 3 tablespoons asiago cheese
• fresh ground pepper
• sugar, if desired
• fresh Italian parsley (to garnish) or dill (to garnish)
• nonfat plain yogurt (optional) or nonfat sour cream (optional)

Directions :

• Sauté onions, garlic, and shallots in oil over medium heat until soft, about 2 minutes.
• Add artichoke hearts, stock, wine, and brandy.
• Bring to a boil, turn to the lowest setting, and simmer covered 10 minutes. If you want a smoother consistency, you can puree it at this time.
• Pepper (and sugar, if desired) to taste, and serve topped with cheese, a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, and a sprinkling of fresh Italian parsley or dill.