Artichoke Soufflé with Goat Cheese and Thyme Recipe
Artichoke Souffles with goat cheese and thyme, a delicious appetizer featuring artichokes!
How to Make the Best Artichoke Soufflé with Goat Cheese and Thyme
This elegant artichoke soufflé with goat cheese and thyme is a showstopping appetizer that combines the earthy flavor of artichokes with creamy goat cheese and aromatic fresh thyme. Light, airy, and sophisticated, these individual soufflés make a stunning first course for dinner parties or special occasions.
The secret to a perfect soufflé lies in properly folding the beaten egg whites into the flavorful artichoke base. Don’t be intimidated—while soufflés have a reputation for being tricky, this recipe breaks down the process into manageable steps. The béchamel-style base can even be made ahead of time, making entertaining easier.
Serve these golden, puffed beauties straight from the oven for maximum drama. While they will deflate as they cool (that’s just the nature of soufflés!), the flavor remains absolutely divine. The combination of French technique with Mediterranean artichokes creates a dish that’s both impressive and delicious.
Artichoke Soufflé with Goat Cheese and Thyme
Artichoke Souffles with goat cheese and thyme, a delicious appetizer featuring artichokes!
Ingredients
Artichoke Base
Soufflé
Instructions
Prepare the Artichokes
- If using fresh artichokes, trim artichokes and cook in boiling salted water until tender, about 1 hour depending on size. Drain, remove outer leaves and remove fuzzy choke and reserve the heart (fleshy center part) and 1 inch of the tender stem.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a blender, blend artichoke hearts with half and half until very smooth.
Make the Soufflé Base
- In a small pot over medium heat, melt butter and add flour. Whisk until smooth and cook one minute, careful not to brown.
- Gradually add cream/artichoke mixture, whisking constantly until it thickens. Once thickened, turn heat to low, add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Stir in goat cheese and thyme. Turn heat off.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Place the whites in a mixer. Place the yolks in a small bowl and temper them by adding a tablespoon or two of the warm artichoke mixture to the yolks, mixing with a fork.
- Add the tempered yolks to the artichoke mixture gradually, whisking to combine. Set pot aside and let cool. You can make these ahead up to this point—leave at room temp for two hours or refrigerate overnight.
Assemble and Bake
- Boil 1-2 quarts of water for the hot water bath.
- Beat the egg whites in a mixer or large bowl until foamy. Add a pinch of salt then continue whisking until medium stiff peaks form. Do not over beat—you want them stiff but not too dry.
- Gently fold egg whites into the room temperature artichoke mixture.
- Grease eight 2-inch ramekins with butter and dust with flour on all sides including the base. Fill the ramekins to ½-inch from the top with artichoke mixture. Top with a sprig of thyme.
- Place ramekins inside a larger baking dish and fill with hot water so it comes halfway up the outside of the ramekins, creating a hot water bath.
- Bake in 400°F oven for 10 minutes, then turn heat down to 350°F and continue baking for 15 minutes.
- Serve immediately. They will begin to deflate once removed from the oven, so plan accordingly.
Notes
- Even though soufflés will deflate, they will still taste good the next day and can be reheated right in the ramekin.
- You can prepare the artichoke base ahead of time and refrigerate overnight—just bring to room temperature before folding in the egg whites.
- Canned or frozen artichoke hearts work well if fresh artichokes aren't available.
