This of us who live and work in Los Angeles are in the midst of a pretty rough heat wave…for us, at least. As with most things Angelenos complain about, it’s nothing compared to what seasoned New Yorkers are used to dealing with.
In these hot months, though—especially if you, like us, usually work outside—it can be a struggle to keep cool, especially around lunch time, when the easiest, cooling go-to is a salad. Let’s face it though—salad gets pretty boring pretty fast, no matter how creative you are with your dressings.
Enter chilled melon soup, a dish that may sound a little odd, but, once put into practice, hits all the right notes—sweet balanced with a little savory, smooth, cooling, and stupid-easy to make.
Essentially, buy a large melon from the farmers market or your local purveyor of produce—we went with an orange flesh honeydew, a melon described as “similar to the Honeydew on the outside but has a similar interior color, taste and aroma that of a Cantaloupe.” Get it home, scoop out the seeds, and then either cut into chunks and then trim off the exterior rind or (as we did) simply scoop out the flesh of the melon provided it’s soft enough. Either way, then just place the melon chunks or scoops in a decent blender along with some ice and blend until smooth. Serve with a powdering of smoked paprika or chili powder and a garnish of your favorite green leafy herb. Sit back and enjoy not sweating for the next ten to fifteen minutes.
