The recipe for this very refreshing cold soup was devised many years ago after Larry and I had watermelon soup as the first course of a summer dinner at Cafe Bernardo in midtown Sacramento. The chef told me that she had sweetened the soup with a sugar syrup prepared ahead of time. Honey proved to be a simpler, quicker way to a similar soup. We have this soup just about every week when watermelon is available and we never tire of its taste or gorgeous color!
It seems that most watermelons sold today are “seedless”, but they all have at least a few soft white seeds. These aren’t going to spoil the soup, so just eliminate what’s easy to flick out with a knife and don’t worry about the rest! If you want the soup to have a little extra texture, add some of the watermelon separately after blending the other ingredients, pulsing to break up the chunks and stopping short of turning them completely to liquid.
For 4 1-C servings
2 lb seedless watermelon chunks, divided if desired into 24 oz and 8 oz portions
2 – 3 Tbsp honey, or to taste
3/8 tsp kosher salt
feta cheese, cut in small cubes or crumbled into chunks
mint leaves, cut into chiffonade* just before serving
Purée the watermelon with the honey and salt in the jar of a blender. The soup will have a thin consistency. For a chunkier version, purée 24 oz of the watermelon with the honey and salt, then add the remaining 8 oz and pulse to achieve desired texture.
Chill the soup until very cold. (Using a metal bowl will speed this process.) Store in a jar in the refrigerator. Serve the soup in shallow bowls, garnished with feta and mint to taste.
*Chop mint into chiffonade by stacking leaves, rolling them up lengthwise like a cigar and thinly slicing crosswise.
The soup without the cheese and mint will keep in the refrigerator for at least three days.
If a sugar syrup is used, is the amount the same as the honey? (I’m allergic to honey.)
Thanks.
I am sorry that I no longer have the notes from my conversation with the chef. The amount of honey was determined by experimentation. To make the substitution I would prepare a small amount of a pretty dense syrup, cool it down and add it little by little to the soup in the blender until you like the level of sweetness. If you are planning to add the 8 oz of watermelon at the end, try to project the degree of sweetness that you’ll have once everything is combined. If you add the syrup after all the melon is in the blender, your soup will be smooth–which isn’t the end of the world, after all! Just remember to write down what you did for next time! Please let us know how this works out for you.
Such gorgeous pics, Mom!
I think David will love this. Feta or goat cheese with watermelon is one of my favorites. I had the combination for the first time as a salad at the faculty club at NU.It was a delightful surprise I had never considered.
David loves a cold avocado soup I concocted from a Bittman recipe. It’s just avocado, Lactaid milk (any milk will do, but Lactaid adds sweetness), a bit of red pepper, a touch of salt, a tiny touch of nutmeg. Whip it up in the Cuisinart, and that’s it. David then adds lime juice and honey to taste. If we have mint on hand, we add a sprig on top.
I do remember the watermelon soup fondly!
Thank you to all members of my family who posted comments and made me smile!
I’ll have to try this. I don’t want to be the only family member not to sing its praises.
What a delicious, easy summer soup! We enjoyed it this evening using the sugar syrup in place of honey due to my severe allergy to honey. 3 tablespoons did the trick, although 2 would have been perfectly adequate. Thank you for this sublime recipe!