Super Easy Chilled Melon Soup with Prosciutto - An Italian Chef's 3-Minute Summer Appetizer
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Have you ever had an overripe melon that's too soft to slice nicely?
Want to do something more stylish than just prosciutto-wrapped melon?
Need a no-cook, impressive appetizer you can serve to guests in 3 minutes on a hot day?
If that's you, this chilled melon soup is worth trying. You eat it just like you would prosciutto e melone - sweet, salty, and refreshing - but served as an elegant soup.
Shop Nakayama Farm Melon from Hokkaido
Recipe: Fluffy Chilled Ripe Melon Soup
Servings: 2-3 people
Time: 3 minutes (plus chilling time)
Ingredients
- 1/4 very ripe melon (For Nakayama Farm melons, best from day 9 after harvest)
- A few slices of salty pancetta or aged Iberico ham (choose one with deep red color and firm texture)
- Extra virgin olive oil, to finish
- Fresh basil leaves, a few
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (optional)
Instructions
1. Prep the melon and ham
Peel the melon, remove the seeds. Nakayama melons have flesh right up to the rind, so scoop as close to the skin as possible with a spoon to use it all.
First, make a few melon balls for garnish. If you don't have a melon baller, just reserve some small diced melon - it will be a nice accent.
Tear the pancetta or Iberico ham into bite-size pieces by hand and set aside.
2. Chill, then blend
Keep the melon well-chilled in the fridge. For best results, chill it again after cutting.
Just before serving, blend the melon (except the garnish) in a blender. Blend until no chunks remain and it becomes light, frothy, and foamy. That's the key to the texture.
3. Plate like a restaurant
Pour the frothy soup into a chilled soup bowl.
Scatter the torn ham and add a few melon balls.
Drizzle olive oil in a circle on top and finish with a basil leaf. Add black pepper from a mill if you like. Serve immediately. No other seasoning needed.
The natural sweetness of the ripe melon, the saltiness of the ham, and the aroma of olive oil make this a complete dish. It's a sophisticated soup you can serve to guests.
The Story Behind This Recipe
I first had this dish at a friend's home in Paris. She told me it's a recipe she learned from her friend's husband, who is an Italian chef.
All you need is seasonal, perfectly ripe melon, and you don't even need to use the stove. Yet it instantly turns your table into a restaurant. It has been my go-to summer secret ever since.