This French artichoke salad is a fresh, light, and flavorful way to enjoy artichokes, tossed with a simple vinaigrette aux fines herbes made with vinegar, olive oil, and fresh herbs. Inspired by the Mediterranean flavors of southern France, it makes an elegant starter or an easy vegetable side dish, and with jarred artichokes, it comes together in no time.
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❤️About French Artichoke Salad
It is a popular vegetable in France and is served in most restaurants.
Many people are unsure about this beautiful vegetable and are unsure of how to use it.
But after you follow the directions here, you will be a master!
Then learn How To Cook Artichokes that can be used in many different recipes, and How To Season Recipes to develop the best flavour in the ingredients.
You may also find it helpful to consult this comprehensive guide on how to prepare various types of salads.
How To Prepare Artichokes
After cooking artichokes, the outer leaves are usually peeled off and discarded. However, these leaves are delicious and can be enjoyed by inserting the leaves in your mouth and simply scraping the flesh off with your teeth. Yummy!
It is also necessary for this recipe to remove the choke, which is the heart of the vegetable. Just open up the leaves until the center core is reached and pull it out. It looks much nicer without the choke, too.
It can be a little hard on your fingers as the leaves have points, but it is well worth it. This may be where a jar of prepared artichokes comes to the rescue!
Then the rest of the vegetables can be chopped up to prepare the salad.
How To Serve
- Include it as part of your starter or hors d'oeuvres table for special occasions.
- Give your family a treat as you include it with some more delicious fresh French salad recipes.
- Or as a side dish with a main meat meal.
They are all delicious, can be served hot or cold, and are so good for you.
This artichoke salad recipe is a great, simple, tasty treat and is sure to be a winner every time!
French Artichoke Salad FAQ
Absolutely. Make French Artichoke Salad up to 24 hours ahead and store it in the fridge. The vinaigrette dressing will marinate the artichokes nicely overnight.
Yes, but for French Artichoke Salad, they may not have the firm texture that freshly prepared artichokes or jarred artichokes have.
In French Artichoke Salad, a combination of fresh herbs such as fennel, chervil, parsley, tarragon, chives, and/or marjoram is my choice.
My recipe for French Artichoke Salad is the best: Vinaigrette aux Fines Herbes.
📖 Recipe
Prep Like a Pro
Before you start cooking, chop, measure, and prep every ingredient, and gather your tools.
This simple habit reduces stress, prevents overcooking, and instantly improves your meals. Mise en Place - "Everything in its place."
French Artichoke Salad with Fresh Herb Vinaigrette
Equipment
- Fine mesh strainer
- Citrus juicer or squeezer (optional but helpful)
Ingredients
- 4 globe artichokes Or a 12 oz jar of marinated artichokes
- 6 cups cold water
- 2 teaspoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 thinly sliced onion optional
- vinaigrette dressing
Dressing - Vinaigrette aux Fines Herbes
- 3 tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 2 pinches of salt
- black pepper
- 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoon mixed fine herbs fennel, chervil, or parsley, tarragon, chives and 4 leaves of marjoram.
Instructions
- Prepare the artichokes by trimming off any sharp points at the ends of the leaves.
- Place them in a pan with the white wine vinegar or lemon juice and the water, and bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes or until soft, then drain.
- Once cooked, cut out the choke (the core of the vegetable with the feathery fibers) and the bottom leaves will remove easily too.
- Slice the artichoke into desired size pieces. Place in a serving bowl.
- Or, if using a jar of marinated artichokes, drain well and place in a serving bowl.
- Add sliced onion if desired.
- Add vinaigrette and toss gently.
How To Make Vinaigrette aux Fines Herbes
- Put the salt into a bowl together with a little black pepper.
- Stir in the vinegar and continue until the salt has dissolved, adding vinegar first because salt will not dissolve in oil.
- Now add the oil, a little at a time, beating continuously until the dressing is cloudy.
- Add the fine herbs and mix in.
- Allow to stand for about 10 minutes, then shake or stir just before use.
- Such an easy recipe but you will have a very tasty and impressive French salad on your table!
Notes
Expert Tips
- Chop herbs just before using for robust flavor.
- Add a little lemon zest for extra zip.
- If using canned artichokes, rinse lightly to remove any metallic flavor.
- Let the salad rest after adding the vinaigrette, as it gets better as it sits.
- Use this vinaigrette recipe with red wine vinegar: Vinaigrette au Fines Herbes
- A splash of white wine vinegar perks up the whole dish.
- A pinch of fleur de sel at the end makes it taste restaurant‑level. (What is fleur de sel? French for "flower of salt" is hand-harvested sea salt for its delicate, flaky crystals that form a thin crust on the surface of salt pans, valued by chefs as a premium finishing salt.)
- A spoonful of the artichoke oil (from jarred artichokes) is a magic ingredient.
Judith says
Whether you are familiar with artichoke salad or not, this is a lovely, simple recipe that can be added to with other vegetables or herbs in so many different ways to suit your needs or taste. Use jarred artichokes for the easiest way to a scrumptious addition to your salad recipe box. ₊˚ʚ 🌱 ₊˚✧ ﾟ.