Quick cream of artichoke soup can be made with canned cream of mushroom
soup and a can of quartered artichoke hearts. Drain the artichoke hearts
and rinse to remove the citric acid. Puree the artichokes in a blender and
discard the long fibers that result. The fibers may get stuck in the
blender blades, by the way. Add the pureed artichokes to the cream of
mushroom soup, heat slowly, and voila, you have cream of artichoke soup.
It's not the real thing, which would have to be made with fresh, steamed
artichokes, but it's a lot faster.
 
Andrew K. Rindsberg (who is reminiscing fondly about his California days,
and wishing he were there, at least for lunch)
Geological Survey of Alabama