9 Best Substitutes For Artichokes
Artichokes are one type of vegetable that you either love or hate. But even if you like artichokes, there may be cases when you need to replace them with another ingredient.
What are the best substitutes for artichokes? Cardone, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, heart of palm, Jerusalem artichokes, kohlrabi, canned artichokes, chayote, and jicama are some of the best substitutes for artichokes. Choose a substitute for artichokes depending on the texture and flavor you are looking for.
Continue reading to learn more about the best substitutes for artichokes and how to use them!
What Are Artichokes?
Artichokes are spectacular-looking vegetable plants. The name artichoke is used to refer to the immature flower bud of a thistle plant, which looks like a pine cone with overlapping scale-like leaves.
Under the leaves, you can find the fuzzy center of the artichoke that is called “choke.” The choke sits on top of the artichoke heart, which is the core of the artichoke plant.
How Do You Cook And Eat Artichokes?
Artichokes can be cooked in a number of ways. Boiling artichokes is the easiest way to cook them. You can also steam, grill, bake, and braise artichokes.
Cooking artichokes is easy if you know to prepare these vegetables. First, you should first learn what parts of artichokes are edible and which parts aren’t:
- The heart is the most delicious part of artichokes as it is delicate and meaty.
- The stem of the artichoke is edible, too, but you should peel it first before cooking it.
- The leaves are edible. However, the outer leaves are too tough to cook and eat. The middle leaves are tender at the bottom, but spiky at the top. The inner leaves, on the other hand, are exquisitely tender and delicious.
- The “choke” of artichokes (the seemingly infinite amount of small hairs between the inner leaves and the heart) is inedible unless you are working with baby artichokes.
Despite their peculiarities, artichokes are as versatile as any other vegetable. You can use them to make appetizers, soups, salads, stews, pasta dishes, pizza, dips, etc.
Artichokes also pair well with many different ingredients — they are particularly good with cheese, lemon, garlic, shallots, and eggs. You can serve artichokes as a side dish for chicken and seafood.
What Do Artichokes Taste Like?
Raw artichokes are very bitter. They also have an unappealingly firm texture. You need to cook artichokes to make their flavor and texture more enjoyable.
Cooked artichokes have a delicate flavor with earthy and nutty notes. They taste somewhat like boiled potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and asparagus.
Best Substitutes For Artichokes
Artichokes are not the most widely available vegetable. Aside from being difficult to find, many people also find artichokes to be hard to cook with. Others simply don’t like the flavor of artichokes or are allergic to them.
There are different reasons why you might look for a substitute for artichokes. Luckily, there are quite a few of them! You will surely find an option that works for you.
1. Cardone
Cardone, also known as artichoke thistle, is a Mediterranean vegetable that looks a lot like celery and tastes similar to artichokes.
Just like artichokes, cardone is low-calorie and fat-free. It is also rich in fiber, protein, vitamins C, and B, and a range of other vitamins and minerals.
Unlike artichokes, you can’t eat cardone raw. You need to cook these stalks to get rid of their mild bitterness and improve the texture.
Cardone stalks can be steamed, braised, fried, and sautéed. You can use cardone instead of artichokes in pasta dishes, soups, on pizza, etc.
2. Brussels Sprouts
Many people don’t like Brussels sprouts, and there is actually a scientific explanation for it. If you are not one of these people and you do like the flavor of Brussels sprouts, you can use them instead of artichokes in certain dishes.
Properly cooked Brussels sprouts have a tender texture and a nutty flavor with sweet and mildly bitter undertones. They can also be eaten raw.
You can boil, bake, sauté, roast, and braise Brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts work especially well as an artichoke substitute in dishes where they are cooked with butter and garlic.
You can serve Brussels sprouts instead of artichokes as a side dish for chicken, steak, and salmon.
3. Asparagus
Asparagus looks very different from artichoke but be a substitute for a number of dishes.
The flavor of asparagus is sharper compared to the flavor of artichokes. The latter is also sweeter than asparagus.
With this said, asparagus is easier to find and prepare. You can cook asparagus using different cooking methods. You can roast, pan-sear, boil, steam, and even bake asparagus.
If your plan was to serve artichokes as a side dish but you couldn’t find them, get asparagus. Asparagus is one of the most versatile side dish options. It goes well with chicken, red meat, and fish.
4. Heart Of Palm
Heart of palm is certainly not the most practical artichoke substitute, but it is one of the best due to its flavor, texture, and uses.
Typically sold in cans and jars, heart of palm is a vegetable that comes from the inner bud of certain types of palm trees. It is similar to the flavor of artichoke hearts in terms of mildness and hints of nutty flavor.
Heart of palm has a creamy and crunchy texture similar to the texture of cooked artichoke hearts. The flesh of this vegetable is juicier and tenderer than the flesh of artichokes.
You can use heart of palm to make dips, creamy sauces, and soups. They can also be used in salads, pastas, and stir-fries.
5. Jerusalem Artichokes
Jerusalem artichokes look nothing like regular artichokes — they aren’t even related, or from Jerusalem! This is actually a species of sunflower that grows underground and can be eaten both cooked and raw.
Raw Jerusalem artichokes are very crunchy with a fresh flavor. They are sweet and slightly nutty and resemble the flavor of water chestnuts.
Cooking softens Jerusalem artichokes. Cooked Jerusalem artichokes have the texture of cooked artichoke hearts. You can use them for stir-fries and soups.
Jerusalem artichokes work best as an artichoke substitute for baked dishes. Baking makes Jerusalem artichokes resemble baked potatoes with a mild artichoke flavor.
Despite their unappealing looks, Jerusalem artichokes are very healthy. They are rich in vitamins and minerals and low in fats.
6. Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi, also known as German turnip, is a biennial vegetable from the Brassica family. It is not a root vegetable like many people think — it’s actually related to broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower!
Kohlrabi is a good substitute for artichokes in the summer season. It has a firm texture similar to the texture of broccoli stems. Kohlrabi also tastes a lot like broccoli stems, though it is sweeter with mildly peppery notes.
You can eat kohlrabi raw and cooked. Raw kohlrabi is crispy and juicy and perfect to toss in salads.
Cook kohlrabi to make it tender. You can use it in cooking the way you use potatoes. Kohlrabi can be steamed, boiled, roasted, and fried.
7. Canned Artichoke Hearts
Canned artichoke hearts are easier to find than fresh artichokes. They are also shelf-stable and you don’t need to spend time prepping them. If you are intimidated by cleaning fresh artichokes, canned artichokes are certainly something you should try.
Texture-wise, canned artichokes are usually softer than cooked artichokes. But this doesn’t mean you can’t cook canned artichokes too. Canned artichokes are good for roasting and searing.
Canned artichokes are just as good for you! They are rich in vitamins and minerals. If preserved in olive oil, canned artichokes are also high in healthy fats.
You can use canned artichokes instead of fresh artichokes in salads, dips, creamy soups, pizza, etc.
8. Chayote
You can use chayote instead of artichoke hearts if you happen to have them at home. Chayote is a squash from the same family as cucumbers. It has a mild flavor and tastes like a cross between an apple and a cucumber.
Chayote has a crunchy texture. Unlike artichokes that always need to be cooked, chayote can be used both cooked and raw.
You can use raw chayote instead of artichokes for salads if you don’t mind some added crispiness. Cook chayote if you want to soften its texture. Cooked chayote is good for stir-fries and soups.
When choosing chayote, look for ones that are ripe, firm, and blemish-free.
9. Jicama
Jicama is a root vegetable with juicy and crispy flesh. It has a sweet, nutty flavor. People describe it to have a flavor similar to potatoes and carrots.
Jicama is not very widely available — in fact, it may be less popular than artichokes. But if you need an artichoke substitute and come across jicamas, grab them! If you are on a mission to find jicamas, look for them in Asian and Mexican markets.
You can use jicamas raw if you need them to be very crunchy. Raw jicamas are good for salads and slaws.
Cooking jicamas doesn’t change their crispy texture. Take this into account when using jicama instead of artichokes. You can boil, steam, and sauté jicamas.
