Chilled Melon and Cucumber Soup with Bacon
A chilled cream soup in which sweet melon and refreshing cucumber are blended with ice — which not only cools the soup but also gives it the right consistency without any cooking. The contrast of cool fruit purée and hot, crisp strips of dry-cured bacon makes the dish both delicate and bold, while mint adds freshness.
Cold fruit-and-vegetable soups are a tradition of the hot Mediterranean regions (think of Spanish gazpacho). Pairing melon with salty meat has deep roots: in Italy it has long been served with prosciutto, and here the bacon plays the same role — a salty accent to the sweet.
One handy trick: Any variety of melon works for this soup (cantaloupe, honeydew, or other) — the key is that it be ripe and fragrant. Add the ice straight into the blender: it chills the soup instantly and thins it to the right thickness, so there’s no need to make it ahead. Try slices of seared duck breast or prosciutto in place of bacon — the salty accent works just as well.
Serve immediately, while the soup is cold, with grissini breadsticks. If making ahead, keep it refrigerated and add the bacon only just before serving so it doesn’t go soft.
Part of European cuisine — 63 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Roughly chop the melon and cucumbers, put them in a blender, add the ice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and half the mint leaves, and blend until smooth.
Separately, in a dry skillet, fry the bacon strips for 2–3 minutes per side until golden.
Garnish the melon soup with mint leaves and serve with the bacon strips and grissini breadsticks.
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