We know that cold Spanish soup recipes always take the spotlight when it comes to gazpachos, but there is an immense amount of variety besides that one.
Some of the newest alternatives to the gazpacho original recipe are the fruity cold soups, and one that’s growing in popularity is the chilled melon soup.
Keep reading this article to learn how to make melon soup, with some super helpful tips to store and serve this fantastic gazpacho.
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Background of the Dish
The authentic Spanish gazpacho was created in the 1600s, and it was almost the sole refreshment people had back then to combat the hot weather.
This made it extremely popular in the region, and as the fame of the traditional gazpacho grew, new variations emerged.
The chilled melon soup is also a Spanish soup served cold, but unlike the classic version which has tomatoes as the primary ingredient, this one uses cantaloupe as the star component. Nonetheless, you can serve it for lunch, dinner, or even brunch.
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Things You’ll Need for Chilled Melon Soup
To make this easy gazpacho soup recipe, you will need melon, red bell pepper, onion, and olive oil.
To reach the perfect chilled melon soup consistency you will need a blender, food processor, or a similar kitchen appliance.
Ingredients
- 1 ripe cantaloupe melon
- 1 cucumber
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 onion
- 2 cups (480ml) water
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
How to Make Chilled Melon Soup – Step by Step Guide
- To start with this cantaloupe soup recipe you have to cut the melon in half, remove the seeds and peel, and cut it into cubes.
- After that, peel and seed the cucumber, then dice it. Remove the seeds and stem from the red bell pepper and dice it. Peel and dice the onion.
- With the help of a blender or food processor, mix the vegetables and the water, orange juice, and vinegar. Blend everything until combined.
- As the blender keeps running, drizzle in the olive oil slowly to emulsify the chilled melon soup.
- Then stop and taste the cold cantaloupe soup. Add salt and pepper to taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Blend again to incorporate the seasoning.
- Now take the chilled melon soup to a bowl or airtight container. Cover it and refrigerate the soup for at least 2-3 hours, or until well chilled.
- Once the soup is chilled, stir it before serving. Pour it into small bowls or deep plates and serve it cold. Optionally, you can garnish the chilled Spanish soup with fresh mint leaves.
Substitution of Ingredients
If you want to prepare this chilled cantaloupe soup but you don’t have all of the ingredients don’t panic, there are some changes that you can make.
For example, you can buy frozen and chilled melon to make this chilled melon soup, just let it thaw for a bit or you might end up with a smoothie rather than a gazpacho.
In the same way that you can make gazpacho with canned tomatoes, you can make this one with canned melon, but we recommend using one that doesn’t come with syrup (it’s hard to find, so preferably stick to fresh melon).
Besides that, you can make the cucumber melon gazpacho by adding any vegetable or fruit of your choice: strawberries, pear, pineapple, tomatoes, carrots, etc.
If you aren’t in the mood for a cantaloupe gazpacho then you can go for another fruity one, like the watermelon gazpacho.
Tips on Serving Chilled Melon Soup
This melon soup can work as a main dish or a side dish, and you can have it for lunch, dinner, or even for breakfast.
For a full brunch, this cold Spanish soup would make a great savory-sweet component, and you can serve it with artisan bread toasts, poached eggs, etc.
This is a vegan cold cucumber soup with melon, but if you don’t follow that diet then you can top it with serrano ham slices or grated parmesan cheese.
For a colorful tapas table, you can serve the chilled melon soup with other fruity Spanish cold soups, like the blueberry cold soup and the strawberry gazpacho.
How to Store Chilled Melon Soup
Once you finish making this chilled melon soup you can either serve it right away or store it for later.
To store the chilled melon soup just pour it in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap (sealing it properly), and take it to the fridge for up to 2 days.
Since it is made with fresh fruit and vegetables you can’t freeze the chilled melon soup.
For a traditional gazpacho recipe that you can freeze, feel free to check the beet gazpacho and the cold asparagus soup, among others.
Recipe Card: Chilled Melon Soup
Chilled Melon Soup Recipe
We know that the Spanish cold tomato soup always takes the spotlight when it comes to gazpachos, but there is an immense amount of variety besides that one.
Some of the newest alternatives to the gazpacho original recipe are the fruity cold soups, and one that's growing in popularity is the chilled melon soup.
Keep reading this article to learn how to make melon soup, with some super helpful tips to store and serve this fantastic gazpacho.
Ingredients
- 1 ripe cantaloupe melon
- 1 cucumber
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 onion
- 2 cups (480ml) water
- 1/4 cup (60ml) fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Cut the cantaloupe melon in half, remove the seeds and peel, and cut it into cubes.
- Peel and seed the cucumber, then dice it. Remove the seeds and stem from the red bell pepper and dice it. Peel and dice the onion.
- In a blender or food processor add the vegetables and the water, orange juice, and vinegar. Blend everything until combined.
- With the blender still running, drizzle in the olive oil slowly to emulsify the cold melon soup.
- Stop and taste the melon soup. Add salt and pepper to taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Blend again to incorporate the seasoning.
- Transfer the blended soup to a bowl or airtight container. Cover and refrigerate the soup for at least 2-3 hours, or until well chilled.
- Once the soup is chilled, stir it before serving. Pour it into small bowls or deep plates and serve it cold. Optionally, you can garnish the Spanish chilled soup with fresh mint leaves.
Notes
The cooling process is key to this chilled melon soup, but you can speed it up by chilling it in the freezer.
To make this fresh gazpacho recipe even fresher you can blend in 1/4 cup of mint leaves while making the soup.
To add more spiciness to this melon soup recipe you can add paprika, cayenne pepper, or chili flakes.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 130Total Fat 8.7gSaturated Fat 1.3gCholesterol 0mgSodium 20mgCarbohydrates 13.7gFiber 1.8gSugar 10.7gProtein 1.6g
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