Melon soup can be served as a first course or as dessert. Photo by Cristina Donnadieu | 21 Club.
July 2010
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Recipe: Melon Soup
Grab A Cantaloupe & Make This Summer Treat
Overview
Is there anything more refreshing in the summer than a bowl of sweet, chilled melon soup? Try this recipe, from Kimberly Bugler, pastry chef at New York’s famed 21 Club, and you’ll be convinced.
Chef Bugler uses Cavaillon, a French premium variety of cantaloupe, in her melon soup. The melons, which are available from June to October, beg to be made into soup.
The canton of Cavaillon (cah-vah-YONE) is in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of France. The area is a center for growing fruits including what are called melons of Cavaillon (melon de Cavaillon), a premium variety of cantaloupe.
In the U.S., Cavaillon melons are grown by Weiser Farms in greater Los Angeles. Learn more about these choice fruits.
Chances are you may not come across Cavaillon melons. Substitute your local variety of sweet cantaloupe.
The French enjoy the melon sliced and served with a glass of Port. Since there’s Champagne in the soup, you can serve a glass alongside it. See the different types of Champagne. We personally prefer using one of the sweeter varieties for a dessert soup.
Melon Soup Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 3 Cavaillon or cantaloupe melons, ripe
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1-½ cups Champagne or other sparkling wine
- Fresh mint
Preparation
- Bring sugar, water and corn syrup to a boil; then chill.
- Clean, cut and cube 2-½ melons, reserving the last half for garnish
- Place melon cubes, sugar syrup and lemon juice in container, and blend using an immersion blender.
- Stir in Champagne.
- Using a vegetable peeler, make ribbons from the remaining melon.
- Chiffonade the mint.
- To serve, nest ribbons together in the base of each serving bowl. Pour soup around ribbons.
- Garnish with a chiffonade of mint.
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Look for an immersion blender that multi-tasks. This one, the Miallegro MiTutto, also has whisk and chopper attachments. |
Recipe and photo © 21 Club. All rights reserved. Other material
Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved.
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