4 large artichokes (or 6 smaller ones), cleaned

Juice of 2 small lemons, divided

16 cups (1 gallon) water

1 tablespoon salt

3 medium-large taro roots

1 medium leek

3 stems of celery leaves

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon marjoram

3 tablespoons yogurt

• Trim the uncooked artichokes to hearts (see the sidebar on this page for instructions). Cut each heart into a few small, bite-sized pieces. Place them in a bowl of water with the juice of 1 of the lemons to prevent the artichokes from becoming black.

• Bring the 1 gallon of water in a soup pot to a boil. Add the salt and the artichoke pieces, after rinsing them off. Simmer for 20 minutes or until all the artichoke hearts are well cooked.

• While the artichokes are cooking, peel, clean, and cut the taro roots into ½-inch cubes. Soak in fresh water and set aside. Chop up the leek and the celery leaves. When the artichokes are cooked, remove them from the cooking water and set aside.

• Add the taro root, celery, and leeks to the water in the soup pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes until the taro roots are soft. With a hand-held blender, blend the root vegetables with the cooking water until puréed. Adjust the flavor; add water if the soup is too salty, or add salt if needed.

• Return the artichoke hearts to the pot. Add the garlic powder, marjoram, and the juice of the remaining lemon. Bring to a light boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Add the yogurt to the soup just before turning off the heat. Mix well and serve.

Serves 8

Use a knife to cut off the leaves and trim around the solid core attached to the stem of the artichoke. Remove the fibrous, inedible material to expose the “heart.”