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!
Saint-Tropez - Jewel of the French Riviera: Full day tour with a winery visit
Spend your day as a movie star in Saint-Tropez! The departure is set early in the morning to avoid the traffic towards the legendary town, with which a thousand stories are associated. The experience will start with a tour of this enchanting small fishing town of Saint-Tropez, which inspired numerous painters and whose beauty of the port always attracted the cinematographic world.
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…
Recipe for Wild Mushroom Bisque
November 16, 2016
As the weather gets cooler, my go-to dinner is often a hearty soup and a winter salad. Sturdy vegetables available in the late fall and winter such as squash, root vegetables, broccoli and cauliflower often combined with dried legumes and mushrooms lend themselves to a slow simmer on the stove top. Making soup is a satisfying Sunday afternoon activity. …
Provence in a Bowl Fennel Tomato Soup with Pastis
July 7, 2016
In his easy recipe, David has combined iconic tastes of Provence – tomatoes, fennel and Pastis – into a bowl (original Cocoa & Lavender post here). In summer months, local market stands showcase tomatoes of every description from trendy multi-coloured heirloom varieties to a Provencal version of the juicy beefsteak to tiny cocktail versions. Fennel grows wild …
An Easy Recipe for Spring Pea Soup
April 19, 2017
The markets of Provence literally spring to life at this time of year with fresh asparagus, young lettuces and the first peas of the season. To celebrate the season of rebirth after a cold winter enjoy this recipe for Spring Pea Soup.…
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. :-)