Refreshing summer melon soup can be whipped up in minutes
Summertime brings in truckloads of melons, from honeydew to cantaloupes and the quintessential thirst quencher, the watermelon. I keep a rotating collection of raw melons on my kitchen counter and wait for the sweet smell to emanate, which informs me that they are ready to dig into. The exterior of a cantaloupe often gets wrinkly before it is at its sweetest.
While just eating a slice of chilled melon sprinkled with salt and a touch of red chile powder makes for a wonderful snack, pureeing ripe, sweet fruit lends itself to an elegant but simpleto-prepare dessert. Here is a melon soup that you can make in minutes and serve topped with another summer fruit, such as diced cherries or mango.
Anita Jaisinghani is the chef-owner of Pondicheri restaurant in Houston. Her website is india1948.com . Her cookbook, “Masala” (Ten Speed Press), is out now. Email: anita@pondicheri.com.
MELON SOUP
1 medium size cantaloupe or honeydew
¼ cup maple syrup or honey
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cardamom
½ teaspoon sea salt ½ cup pitted sliced cherries
Pinch red chile powder Mint sprigs for garnish Instructions: Peel the cantaloupe and remove the seeds and inside fiber. Chop the pulp into large chunks.
In a blender, puree the cantaloupe with maple syrup, cinnamon, cardamom, salt and ¼ cup of water.
Add a little bit more of water if needed. Taste test to make sure it is balanced.
If the melon is very sweet, you could use less maple syrup. Refrigerate until chilled. Serve in small bowls — add cherries and sprinkle red chile powder and tuck in a few mint leaves.
Notes & variations
To make this soup creamy, instead of water, add heavy cream or coconut milk.
To give the soup more body, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of almond butter.
Makes 4 to 6 servings