Recipe for cantaloupe and yogurt soup with ginger, lime and mint
When it's too hot to cook, I make soup. Not with a pot on the stove -- with a blender on the counter top. Melon soups are always refreshing, and they're especially delicious when the melon is just on the edge of overripe, too mushy to use for fruit salad but at the peak of flavor. Try this soup with any of the variety of yellow, orange or green flesh melons available in the market: Santa Claus, honeydew, casaba. And if the Japanese beetles haven't eaten all of the basil in your garden (yes, I'm still upset about that), go ahead and throw in a bit of fresh basil, too. This soup makes a great first course or dessert, and would be delicious as part of a weekend brunch.
Cantaloupe and yogurt soup with ginger, lime and mint
Serves 2; can be doubled or tripled. (Note: the soup will keep for 1-2 days in the refrigerator. It will separate, but a quick stir with a spoon or fork brings it all back together.)
Ingredients
3 cups cubed melon
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (I use 0% fat) or regular plain yogurt
1/8 tsp ground (powdered) ginger
Zest of one lime
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp agave nectar or honey
2-3 mint leaves
2-3 basil leaves (optional, but delicious)
A pinch of kosher salt
2-3 Tbsp water if needed to thin the soup to desired consistency
Directions
Combine all ingredients except water in a blender, and puree until smooth. Adjust consistency with water, if needed. Serve chilled.
I love the color of this soup - I need to do more with cold soups. They sound like an easy and tasty starter to a summer meal.
I am crazy about the sound of cantaloupe soup. Never had anything like this!
This sounds absolutely divine. All my favorite flavors whipped up in one cool soup. (And so sorry about the basil- so disappointing!)
I should be able to try this pretty soon!!
TW, Kalyn: this is a gentle soup. Not bland, but gentle. And refreshing.
Karina, I'm a real melon lover, and I've made this soup with Santa Claus melon when it's perfectly ripe. Oh, so good!
Lucia, that will be fun! This is really a melon smoothie in a bowl.
I love love love your site! Can you make this with a hand-blender? (I just bought one and am eager to use it as much as possible!)
This sounds good. It reminded me of a favorite cold soup recipe from the original Moosewood Cookbook: "Fruit Soup". It's very good. No doubt the recipe is on the web someplace if you don't have the cookbook.