Last week in the cooking class the topic was soup. The melon soup was my favorite, but I wanted to make my own version. This soup is my version of what we did last week in class.
It is important to use a white wine that you like in this soup. The wine flavor is stronger than the fruit and its flavor is prominent. I use Pinot Grigio because it is my white wine of choice, but use any dry white wine you like to drink.
I added the orange for a little additional sweetness in this soup. I thought of adding only the juice, but I decided it might muddy the color of the soup and I didn’t want that to happen. In the end I liked the bits of orange in the soup.
The harissa adds a nice background heat to the soup. The soup will not be hot, but you will know the heat is there. Please don’t be tempted to add more harissa until the soup has had time to sit in the refrigerator so the flavors can marry. Once the heat is in there the only way to moderate the intensity is to make more soup without heat and combine them.
I included the green onions on top of the soup for color and because I wanted a little sharpness periodically while eating the soup.
Cold Melon Soup with Pinot Grigio and Harissa
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 honeydew melon , peeled and seeded
1 cup of Pinot Grigio (dry Italian white wine)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon of harissa
1 navel orange, peeled and cut into small dice
1 cup of green grapes, cut into quarters
4 tablespoons of green onion tops, finely sliced – for garnish
Directions:
Remove the rind and seeds from the honeydew melon. Cut ¾ of the melon into large chunks and put it into the blender. Add the pinot grigio, salt and harissa to the blender and puree until smooth.
It is important to use a white wine that you like in this soup. The wine flavor is stronger than the fruit and its flavor is prominent. I use Pinot Grigio because it is my white wine of choice, but use any dry white wine you like to drink.
I added the orange for a little additional sweetness in this soup. I thought of adding only the juice, but I decided it might muddy the color of the soup and I didn’t want that to happen. In the end I liked the bits of orange in the soup.
The harissa adds a nice background heat to the soup. The soup will not be hot, but you will know the heat is there. Please don’t be tempted to add more harissa until the soup has had time to sit in the refrigerator so the flavors can marry. Once the heat is in there the only way to moderate the intensity is to make more soup without heat and combine them.
I included the green onions on top of the soup for color and because I wanted a little sharpness periodically while eating the soup.
Cold Melon Soup with Pinot Grigio and Harissa
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 honeydew melon , peeled and seeded
1 cup of Pinot Grigio (dry Italian white wine)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon of harissa
1 navel orange, peeled and cut into small dice
1 cup of green grapes, cut into quarters
4 tablespoons of green onion tops, finely sliced – for garnish
Directions:
Remove the rind and seeds from the honeydew melon. Cut ¾ of the melon into large chunks and put it into the blender. Add the pinot grigio, salt and harissa to the blender and puree until smooth.
Cut the remaining melon into small dice and add it to the soup. Cut the orange into small dice, and the grapes into quarters. Add the orange and grapes to the soup. Store the soup in the refrigerator in a covered container until ready to serve.
When ready to serve garnish with a few sliced green onions.
Nutritional Information:
Amount Per Serving
Calories - 183.42
Calories From Fat (2%) - 3.94
When ready to serve garnish with a few sliced green onions.
Nutritional Information:
Amount Per Serving
Calories - 183.42
Calories From Fat (2%) - 3.94
Total Fat - 0.47g
Saturated Fat - 0.12g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 283.01mg
Potassium - 704.88mg
Total Carbohydrates - 35.56g
Fiber - 3.13g
Sugar - 29.47g
Protein - 2g
Comments:
Comments:
This soup has the lovely scent of honeydew. However, the taste is far more complex. You will taste honeydew, but you also taste the Pinot Grigio followed by the heat from the harissa. This soup is not hot, but the heat from the harissa is definitely a strong background note due to the subtle flavors of the soup. This is nice summer soup when it is too hot to cook, or whenever you want something cold to eat. If you don't want to use the wine I would substitute sparkling water (like Pellegrino) or half apple juice and half water.
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This was a super delicious refreshing cold soup with an interesting hint of heat from the harissa. I have recommended this to coworkers for a recipe to try because I know they would enjoy it, too.
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