A Savoury Melon Soup Starter
Provencal Recipes · Soup · TasteGiuseppina Mabilia, who blends a fusion of tastes from Italy and Provence at her cooking school Venise en Provence shares this recipe for a savoury, cold melon soup. Perfect for a starter in the heat of summer, or for lunch.
Cold Melon Soup Starter
This is one of my preferred recipes: it's very simple and easy to make but incredibly good, and all your guests will enjoy it so much. Now, as the main ingredient is melon, you should choose a really good one, as that will make the difference. You might be tempted to add something. Well, I did initially, and then I just reduced the ingredients to the minimum, and that's simply perfect.
Ingredients
- 4-5 small melons Cavaillon variety in France, or Cantaloupe
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt just a pinch
- fresh basil
- 1 tsp dried red pepper cayenne or Piment d'Espelette
Instructions
- Start by washing the melon and cutting it in two (if you serve them, try to make a nice cut: equal and clean). Then, make some balls with a Parisian scoop melon baller.
- Calculate five balls for each serving, set in a bowl and cool in the fridge.
- Now, you can scoop the rest of the melon roughly and put it in a blender, though not all at once: start with a small quantity and then add the rest. Mix well.
- Add the oil, a pinch of salt, the red peppercorn and some of the basil and mix again till you have a smooth consistency.
- Taste: If it seems a bit insipid, add a pinch of salt and some extra oil and mix again.
- Store in the fridge and let it cool for 1 hour. Then, pour the half melons into a nice glass or bowl, add the melon balls, and some basil.
- Enjoy!
Notes
If you have the chance to find small melons you can present this starter as you see in the photo, otherwise I serve it in nice cups or glasses. This recipe is highly influenced by the quality of melons that you use.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Full-Day Wine Adventure from Marseille: Exploring the Côtes de Provence Appellation
Join us for a captivating day tour as we explore the Côtes de Provence wine appellation! Your adventure begins by unveiling the beauty of Montagne Sainte Victoire, an iconic symbol of the area.
Book this ExperienceLegal
All rights reserved. Perfectly Provence articles and other content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translations into other languages) or redistributed without written permission. For usage information, please contact us.
Syndication InformationAffiliate Information
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Some recipes, posts and pages may have affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, we receive a small commission that does not impact your price. Thank you in advance for supporting our work to maintain Perfectly Provence.
Previous Post
Côtes de Provence Pierrefeu Rosé 2015Next Post
Events for First Weekend in JuneRelated Provence Articles
Make Provencal Fish Soup From Scratch It’s Worth it
May 4, 2018
Deciding to make dinner for a large group takes courage. Deciding to create a menu based around a tradition Provencal fish soup, and making the whole thing from scratch is just a little bit crazy, but the results are delicious. Chefs in France take their trade seriously, so it is not surprising that a Marseille -based group decided that this iconic dish required some specific ingredients and serving methodology, hence the Bouillabaisse Charter. A real Marseille bouillabaisse…
A Variation on Provençal Seafood Stew
November 16, 2016
A satisfying and delicious bowl of comfort while at the same time not being heavy. The refreshing tomato and fish broth highlight the delicious levels of flavour from the capers, olives, fresh spinach and chile flakes with the seafood taking center stage. …
Easy Fall Soups a Recipe for Butternut Squash Soup with Mushrooms and Hazelnuts
November 6, 2017
This recipe for Butternut Squash Soup comes from Gilles at Provence Gourmet. It is perfect for the cooler weather months and a dish you might make in one of his cooking classes in the Fall.…
Fresh Asparagus and Pea Soup Recipe for Spring or Summer
April 20, 2018
rench green asparagus teams very well with peas and you can serve this cold in the summer for a refreshing and pretty way to start a meal. This asparagus and pea soup recipe comes from Jeany Cronk's kitchen at Mirabeau Wine.…
4 Comments
Interesting! I’ll have to try this once the weather gets a bit warmer.
Hi Ashley – yes when the Cavaillon melons are at the height of perfection this soup will be a perfect summer treat.
This looks so delightful, and I wish I could get my hands on some Cavaillon melons to make it! (When you said 4-5 small melons, I knew you meant Cavaillons!) Other nice melons will be coming into season here, soon, and I look forward to making this.
Hi David: Yes you are correct (thanks for clarifying) that would be 4-5 Cavaillon melons. As a not I do not even like melons, except for the Cavaillon version. :-)