Fresh garden basil, sweet watermelon, feta, and a touch of olive oil make this super refreshing cold soup a great addition to any hot summer day.
When the theme “Chilled Soups” was chosen for this month’s Soup Saturday Swappers by The Saucy Southerner, I pretty much thought, “Oh hell no!” The mere thought of creating a cold soup just made me uncomfortable, not to mention at a complete and utter loss as to where I should even begin to develop a recipe and with what ingredients.
Eventually, I decided that watermelon soup was definitely the way to go. After all, it’s pretty much all liquid to begin with anyway, right? So, one evening while B.O.B. Bob was traveling for work, I set about making a chilled watermelon soup, using some of my fresh garden basil, a drizzle or olive oil, a little feta cheese, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Honestly, I have to admit that this cold summer soup was pretty refreshing, not to mention the perfect blend of sweet and salty. Would I change anything? Well, I wouldn’t mind actually puréeing the basil along with the watermelon, although I think this might seriously affect the overall appearance of this delightfully pink soup. I think that crumbled feta might also be the way to go next time to create a better texture.
All in all, I’d say that this blushing sweet soup would be one that I would happily serve any summertime guest as a before-dinner sweet and savory treat. You see, sometimes the uncomfortable things in life, which require us to think outside of the box, can lead to a surprisingly happy ending, not to mention an empty bowl.
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups Puréed Watermelon
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Basil, Finely Chopped
- Finely Ground Sea Salt
- Finely Ground Black Pepper
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 6 Small Cubes of Feta Cheese
Directions:
- Divide the chopped basil and then place it in the bottom of two small bowls.
- Pour the puréed watermelon over the basil and then sprinkle the top of each bowl with a bit of finely ground salt and pepper.
- Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over the puréed watermelon and then top each bowl with 3 cubes of feta before serving.
Suggestions:
- Use a mezzaluna to slice the watermelon needed for this recipe; it is much safer than using a knife.
- You can replace the cubed feta in this recipe with crumbled feta if you choose.
- You just need a little drizzle of olive on the top of each soup bowl; don’t go super crazy.
- Garnish with additional fresh basil if desired.
Improvements:
- Use basil-infused olive oil in this recipe.
- Rim the edge of each soup bowl with plain, chili, or lime-flavored sea salt.
- Replace the basil in this recipe with fresh mint.
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups Puréed Watermelon
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Basil, Finely Chopped
- Finely Ground Sea Salt
- Finely Ground Black Pepper
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 6 Small Cubes of Feta Cheese
Directions:
- Divide the chopped basil and then place it in the bottom of two small bowls.
- Pour the puréed watermelon over the basil and then sprinkle the top of each bowl with a bit of finely ground salt and pepper.
- Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over the puréed watermelon and then top each bowl with 3 cubes of feta before serving.
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MORE GREAT SUMMER WATERMELON & BASIL RECIPES
Pearl Couscous & Chickpea Salad with Basil
Sweet & Tangy Watermelon Rind Pickles
Soup Saturday Swappers is a group of friends who get together on the third Saturday of each month to share their favorite soup and stew recipes based on a theme chosen by one of the members. To join Soup Saturday Swappers you can send an email to wendyklik1517@gmail.com. Visit our Pinterest board to find more great soup and stew recipes.
