CHILLED MELON SOUP

Chilled Melon Soup is a sweet, refreshing, and fragrant dessert that’s the perfect end to a hot summer day’s meal.

INGREDIENTS

650g diced cantaloupe melon
6 Tablespoons coconut cream
1- 2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ginger juice see note
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Half a teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt

For the Almond/Mint “gremolata” topping:

50g whole blanched almonds
2 tablespoons sugar
big pinch of sea salt
2 Tablespoons finely chopped mint
1 Tablespoon lemon zest

To make the ginger juice: finely grate fresh ginger and squeez the juice out of the pulp.

Peel and chop the melon and put it into the blender with the coconut cream, sugar, ginger juice, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt. Blend until fully puréed. Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours until cold.

In the meanwhile, make the almond and mint topping. Combine the almonds, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar starts to melt and the almonds toast. When the almonds become golden and the sugar has melted, remove from heat and carefully transfer the nuts onto a parchment-lined sheet.

Once the nuts have cooled, chop them. Add the minced mint and lemon zest and stir to combine.

When you are ready to serve, pour some chilled soup into bowls and swirl a dollop of coconut cream on top. Garnish with a spoonful of the almond/mint/lemon zest topping. Enjoy cold.

-If your melon is not as sweet as you’d like, adjust the sugar ccordingly.

-Make the ginger juice by finely grating fresh ginger and squeezing the juice out of the pulp. Discard the pulp after you’ve extracted as much juice as possible

Original recipe: land and flavours