1 cup white wine
1 cup olive oil, plus more for cooking
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
Juice of 2 lemons
8 large artichokes
2 carrots, sliced
2 onions, sliced
2 shallots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
Salt, to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil for garnish
Toasted croutons for garnish

In a saucepan, combine the wine, 1 cup olive oil, the broth and lemon juice. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, remove the tough green outer leaves to expose the tender yellow leaves. With a paring knife, remove about 1 inch from the top until the center is visible. Cut away the stem and dark green exterior to expose the pale yellow core. Cut the artichoke in half lengthwise and, with a teaspoon, scoop out the furry choke from the center and add the artichoke halves to the saucepan.

In a large soup pot over medium heat, warm enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the carrots, onions, shallots and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, without browning, until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the artichokes from the liquid and add them to the pot with the vegetables. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into the soup pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until the artichokes are tender when pierced with a fork, 18 to 20 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the artichokes to a clean soup pot and strain the cooking liquid into the pot; discard the solids. Using a stick blender, puree the soup directly in the pot until smooth and stir in the cream. Season with salt. Ladle the soup into warmed individual bowls. Drizzle each serving with extra-virgin olive oil and garnish with 2 or 3 croutons. Serves 4.