Skip to main content
Epicurious
Bon Appétit

Chilled Watermelon-Mint Soup

4.1

(11)

Serve Champagne with this starter.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

12 cups 1-inch pieces seeded or seedless watermelon (from about 7 pounds)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups Johannisberg Riesling wine
1/3 cup (or more) sugar
2 cups (lightly packed) fresh mint leaves (from about 1 large bunch)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup 1/4-inch cubes seeded or seedless watermelon
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream, stirred to loosen
Fresh mint sprigs

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Working in batches, puree 12 cups watermelon in processor until smooth. Strain puree into large bowl. Transfer 1 cup puree to small bowl; cover and chill. Whisk cornstarch into remaining puree. Bring wine and 1/3 cup sugar to simmer in large pot, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 3 minutes. Add watermelon-cornstarch mixture; bring to boil, whisking. Transfer soup to bowl; stir in 2 cups mint. Cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally, about 1 hour.

    Step 2

    Strain soup into another bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Stir in salt and cayenne. Add more sugar, if desired. Chill until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

    Step 3

    Whisk reserved 1 cup watermelon puree into soup. Ladle soup into 8 bowls. Mound 2 tablespoons cubed watermelon in center of each bowl. Drizzle soup with crème fraîche. Garnish with mint sprigs.

TagsCold SoupSoupSoup/StewWhite WineWineAlcoholBeveragesWatermelonMelonFruitMintHerbs & SpicesSour CreamDairyStarterDinnerVeganVegetarianNut FreeDairy FreeGluten FreeSimmerFood ProcessorSummerBon Appétit
Read More
The Most-Saved Recipes in the Epicurious App in May
Like miso-peanut hibachi chicken and spring orzotto.
Whole Lemon Bars
Using two entire lemons—pith, skin, and all—cranks up the citrus flavor in this classic dessert.
The Only Frittata Recipe You’ll Ever Need
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
Grilled Salmon With Dill Chimichurri
Grilling fish atop a bed of lemon slices is the key to not sticking.
Grilled Steak With Spicy Peanut Dressing
A punchy, spicy peanut vinaigrette transforms a simply grilled steak into a showstopping main.
The Most-Saved Recipes in the Epicurious App This Week
Like “phenomenal” whole lemon bars and grilled salmon with dill chimichurri.
Charred Vegetable Ragù
This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it’s actually vegan!
Miso-Peanut Hibachi Chicken
The magic of this hibachi chicken recipe comes from a combination of miso and peanut butter and how it beautifully caramelizes when it hits the grill.