Recipe for cantaloupe and yogurt soup with ginger, lime and mint {vegetarian, gluten-free}
Once upon a time, I bought a honeydew so overripe that, when I cut into it, I discovered more juice and less solid flesh than I'd ever seen in a melon before. The juice tasted like nectar, and I couldn't bear to consign the fruit to the compost pile. It more than made up in flavor what it had lost in texture, so I thought, "Why not soup?" That first bowl, a revelation, led to many others and, eventually, to this cantaloupe and yogurt soup with ginger, lime and spearmint from my garden. If your garden gives you basil, toss a few leaves into the soup, too. Use your favorite melon, or whatever looks best at the market: casaba, crenshaw, canary, orange or yellow or green. Serve it cold, on the hottest days, for breakfast or dessert.
Cantaloupe and yogurt soup with ginger, lime and mint
From the pantry, you'll need: Greek yogurt, powdered ginger, lime, agave nectar, fresh herbs, kosher salt.
This recipe first appeared on Soup Chick. Serves 2; can be doubled or tripled. (Note: the soup will keep for 1-2 days in the refrigerator. It will separate, but a quick stir with a spoon or whisk brings it all back together.)
Ingredients
3 cups cubed melon (cantaloupe, honeydew, casaba, etc.)
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (I use 0% fat) or regular plain yogurt
1/8 tsp ground (powdered) ginger
Zest of one lime
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp agave nectar or honey
2-3 mint leaves
2-3 basil leaves (optional, but delicious)
A pinch of kosher salt
2-3 Tbsp water, if needed to thin the soup to desired consistency
Directions
Combine all ingredients except water in a blender, and purée until smooth. Adjust consistency with water, if needed. Serve chilled.
More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Melon with lime, peanut and mint topping
Strawberry fruit whiz
Mango-mint gazpacho
Watermelon gazpacho
Chilled asparagus soup
Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Summer cantaloupe boats, from Food Blogga
Cantaloupe strawberry salad with lime syrup and mint, from Andrea Meyers
Rock melon (cantaloupe) and yoghurt ice cream pops, from Souvlaki for the Soul
Vanilla melon soup, from La Tartine Gourmande
Cantaloupe arugula salad with prosciutto and mint yogurt dressing, from We are not Martha
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I just had a very bland cantaloupe. A squeeze of lemon and a scoop of plain yogurt fixed it. (The oatmeal cake I crumbled over it, with raisins and spices, didn't hurt.)
Now I wish I had some more to make your lovely soup too!
This sounds like it puts the "refresh" in refreshing!
BTW could this be frozen into an informal "granida?"
Oh this sounds just wonderful. I'm not a big fruit eater, but I love cantaloupe!
Susan, I like your style.
Carol, I don't know whether the yogurt would keep it from being a true granita, but it might be fun to try and freeze this in an ice cream machine.
Kalyn, this is more like a soft smoothie than a fruit, I think! And very refreshing.
Lydia, I love the idea of a cold melon soup with fresh mint and basil. I might just have to pickup an extra ripe melon to give this a try.
Jeanette, try this with any ripe melon you find. It's truly refreshing, especially in this hot weather.
Aloha Lydia! Greeting from Hawaii. I just made the cantaloupe soup actually I'm drinking it out of my Jamba Juice glass! I really love the idea with ginger(fresh) and mint. One of my favs that I keep near by and I would have never thought to merge the two together. I didnt have any limes on hand so I just use the juice of half a lemon and no zest. I did stick with plain greek yogurt plus I added some ice cubes. Really a refreshing treat and hopefully I can make this again as long as my market can supply melon before the fall! Thanks again!!!