

During the winter days, when the cold becomes biting and the sky often remains a dull, uniform gray, there is a need for dishes that can bring warmth. Daylight hours are few, you return home with hands numb from the icy air, and you long for something simple yet satisfying to eat. It is at this time of year that cardoon soup finds its place in the kitchen: a dish that does not aim to impress, but to comfort, restoring a sense of calm after a day spent outdoors or at work.
Let’s prepare it following the recipe of Cesarina Patrizia from Rivoltella, who shares her version of the traditional cardoon soup.
“This is the ultimate Christmas recipe in my family, capable of bringing me back each year to the precious memory of my grandmother.”
Cardoon soup is a dish rooted in rural tradition, warm and comforting, made with one of the most characteristic winter vegetables: cardoon. Its crunchy stalks transform into a soft and delicate base, enhancing the rustic flavors of the broth and the aromas that accompany it.
In its most classic version, cardoons are cooked in a flavorful broth, often enriched with beaten eggs and cheese, which give the soup a creamy texture and an irresistible aroma. Every spoonful tells the story of traditional home cooking, made with simple ingredients yet full of flavor.
Perfect for cold winter days, cardoon soup warms both the table and the heart, bringing back memories of flavors from the past. A humble dish, yet one capable of surprising with the uniqueness of its taste.

Cardoon Soup
A simple yet flavorful dish, cardoon soup celebrates the tastes of winter
Ingredients
- 500 g cardoons (artichoke stalks)
1 beef marrow bone for broth
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1 onion
1 potato
2 cherry tomatoes
2 eggs
100 g grated Grana cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Prepare the meat broth with one carrot, one celery stalk, one onion, one whole potato, a marrow bone, and a little salt.
- Once it reaches a boil, let it simmer over low heat for at least a couple of hours.
- Clean the cardoons and blanch them, keeping them slightly crunchy.
- Drain them and, to remove the bitterness, place them in a bowl of room-temperature water, changing the water at least 2–3 times.
- Place the drained cardoons in a pot and add the strained broth until they are covered.
- Bring to a boil.
- In a bowl, beat the 2 eggs with a little pepper and the grated Grana cheese.
- Open the pot and, using a fork, drizzle the egg mixture over the soup in a thin stream.
- Cover with a lid until the egg sets.
- The soup is ready.
- Serve in pieces with a little broth at the bottom.