Chilled Puree of Carrot & Melon
Submitted by doc
Chilled carrot and cantaloupe soup pureed silky smooth with coriander and cumin, finished with a feathered yogurt garnish. An elegant cold soup for summer entertaining.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
50 minREADY
Carrots and cantaloupe share a natural sweetness that makes them surprisingly good partners in a chilled soup. The carrots get cooked low and slow in oil with onions for a full 35 minutes until they practically fall apart on their own, then simmered in chicken broth before the cantaloupe, coriander, and cumin go in for just two minutes at the end.
That long, slow cook on the carrots is everything. Stirring them gently over low heat releases their water and concentrates their natural sugar into a deep, almost caramelized sweetness without any browning. Don’t rush this step. The carrots need to soften completely before the broth goes in, or the finished soup will taste thin and raw.
The cantaloupe barely cooks at all. Two minutes is just enough to warm it through and release its perfume into the broth. More than that and it turns mushy and loses its fresh, fruity character. After pureeing, chill the whole thing for 2 to 3 hours so the flavors settle and the soup thickens slightly in the cold.
Chef Tips
- Use a ripe, fragrant cantaloupe. If it doesn’t smell sweet at the stem end, it won’t add much flavor to the soup.
- Feather the yogurt garnish by dragging a spoon handle through the yogurt lines at right angles. It takes seconds and looks restaurant-level.
- Serve in chilled bowls. Warm bowls raise the soup temperature and dull the refreshing cold.
Variations
- Use honeydew melon instead of cantaloupe for a lighter, more delicate flavor.
- Swap chicken broth for vegetable stock to make this fully vegetarian.
- Add a pinch of cayenne or ginger to the puree for a warm, spicy edge against the cool sweetness.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oil in a stock pot over low heat.
Add the onions and slowly cook, stirring, for about 7 minutes.
Do not let them color.
Add the carrots and continue cooking, stirring, until most of their water has been released and they fall apart, about 35 minutes.
Add the stock, cover, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer about 15 minutes.
Add the cantaloupe, salt, coriander and cumin and cook 2 minutes.
Strain and reserve the liquid.
Transfer the carrots, onions and cantaloupe to a blender or food processor and purée until very smooth.
Return the purée to the pot and add the reserved liquid.
Chill in refrigerator for 2-to-3 hours.
Combine the milk and the yogurt in a small bowl until smooth.
Reserve until serving.
Pour the soup into chilled soup bowls just before serving.
Decorate the surface by spooning 3 simple lines of yogurt mixture across the surface of each bowl of soup.
Using the handle end of the spoon, lightly drag across the 3 stripes at a 90-degree angle to make a “feathered” decoration.
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