Melon Soup

Dominic Perri for TOPS Club, Inc.

It might seem funny to treat fruit as your main dish, but with a soup as simple to put together as this one, you’ll see that there’s no joke behind this recipe (just a delicious meal). Seek out the sweetest, juiciest melon you can find for this soup—it’s the primary ingredient, so it really needs to shine. The jalapeno is a nice addition, but you can leave it out if you don’t want any extra heat.

Prep and cook time: 10 min., plus 8 or more hrs. to chill. Servings: 2 (2 c. per person)

Ingredients

• 2 c. ripe cantaloupe, chopped
• 1 c. cucumber chopped
• 2 T. red onion, chopped
• 1 T. mint leaves, plus some extra set aside for garnish
• 1 or 2 raw jalapeno slices
• 1/4 t. salt
• 2 t. red wine vinegar

Directions

1. Place the cantaloupe, cucumber, onion, a tablespoon of mint leaves, the jalapeno slices and salt into a blender, and puree until smooth, adding a little water, if needed, to get a soupy consistency.
2. Chill the soup for at least 8 hrs., preferably overnight.
3. Serve, drizzled with red wine vinegar and topped with the extra mint leaves, which you may finely chop or shred before using as a garnish.

Nutrition Information

Per serving: 91 calories (0 from fat), 0 g total fat (0 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 188 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 17 g sugar, 2 g protein.
Exchanges: 2 fruit.

GLUTEN-FREE recipes are prepared without any wheat, barley, rye or triticale. VEGAN recipes are prepared without any animal products including fats, milk or eggs. Check the label on each ingredient to make sure the brand you are using does not contain these items in any form.