This month’s Recipe Redux theme is “Beat the summer heat with no-cook meals!” Two weeks of hot and humid weather made it easy to be creative with cold foods, and using fresh, raw ingredients only made it better. I was already planning on making a watermelon soup for this month’s recipe redux. But it needed more than just the refreshing watermelon. I needed it to hit your taste buds in all the right ways, and I think I found just the way to do it.
This cold soup is incredibly refreshing on a hot day. The tartness of lime, the bit of heat from cayenne, and the fresh greens make this a delicious and nutritious soup or on-the-go drink. To serve it up with a color on each side, I used a piece of foil to make a ‘divider’ and poured the chilled soups on either side, then carefully removed the foil. It won’t be a perfect pattern, but have fun with it!
Green Watermelon Soup
Watermelon puree:
3 cups chopped watermelon
1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons agave (if your watermelon is super sweet, you may not need any)
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch salt
1 tablespoon vodka (keeps it from getting too icy)
Add everything to blender and combine on low speed. Transfer to shallow bowl. Chill for 1 hour or until slushy with ice forming around the edges.
Green puree:
2 cups kale, baby spinach, or combination of both, loosely packed (note: you could also use wheat grass if you like, just omit/reduce agave)
1/2 cup slushy watermelon puree
1/4 large apple, finely chopped or grated
1/2 lime, membrane removed & chopped
1 teaspoon agave
pinch salt
3 ice cubes, crushed
Add everything to blender, combine on medium speed to crush ice, about 10 seconds, then combine on low for another 20 seconds or well-combined.
Assembly: transfer watermelon slush to a measuring cup and stir to break up icy chunks so you can pour easily. Tear a small sheet of foil to use as a ‘divider’ to be placed in the middle of your soup bowl. Simultaneously pour red and green mixtures into bowl on either side of foil. Enjoy immediately.
July 21, 2012 at 13:04
Looks great!
July 21, 2012 at 15:57
Thanks! :)
July 21, 2012 at 16:36
This looks delish and so clever!
July 21, 2012 at 17:52
This looks so great!! I love the picture!
July 21, 2012 at 19:09
Nice yin and watermelon yang!
July 21, 2012 at 21:54
Thanks, the green stuff dripped on the watermelon side when I was pouring it so I had to balance it out. :)
August 21, 2012 at 10:05
Perfect, clever solution!
July 21, 2012 at 20:09
Wow this is so creative and colorful! Love Somer’s comment of “yin and watermelon yang!” Look forward to trying it out.
July 21, 2012 at 21:55
Thanks, Deanna. Even if the colors get muddled, I think it still tastes great!
July 22, 2012 at 07:24
So pretty!
July 22, 2012 at 21:25
Thanks, it stayed pretty for about a minute and a half, then the colors blended. Still tasted good, though!
July 22, 2012 at 16:55
This is such a creative soup. I love how you used the watermelon. This would be perfect for summer.
July 22, 2012 at 21:27
Thanks, Alaine. It really has that thirst-quenching kinda feel to it, very refreshing! :)
July 25, 2012 at 18:01
How creative! This looks really refreshing!
July 25, 2012 at 18:14
Thanks, Alex. It was great earlier in the week when it was sweltering hot!
August 29, 2012 at 14:02
That is the most incredibly beautiful bowl of soup! How creative you are, to put those two flavors together in one bowl. And thanks for the tips on how to get it to look like that. We just featured this on our Facebook page and linked here so people can see how you made it, and your lovely photography. If you wish, come LIKE us on Facebook for more recipes and tips on greens like kale, chard, beet, mustard, turnip, collard, escarole, dandelion and other green leafies. https://www.facebook.com/Cut.n.Clean.Greens
–Your friendly Southern California farmers at Cut `n Clean Greens
https://www.facebook.com/Cut.n.Clean.Greens
September 1, 2012 at 08:17
Thank you for such a nice comment! I’m glad you stopped by, hope others find the recipe as interesting as you did! :)