Charentais melon soup

I've read about Charentais melons [link to seed supply] before, but never thought I'd see the day when we would actually get to try these precious fruits from France. Only recently I've discovered that Italy cultivates Charentais mainly in the province of Mantova and around Ferrara. The current price? Between 2.69-3.80€ a kilo (about $1.56-$2.22/pound); more than twice what it costs for baby watermelons. They are the most delectable melons ever, with an intricately sweet flavor unlike any other [in the melon family]. Yet it's the intense, aromatic perfume that had my nose practically glued to the pale, jadegreen skin of this fruit — quite like the heady fragrance of chinese white narcissus (or hyacinth so says the husband) in a musky, irresistable scent. Yum...

These could be enjoyed all by themselves, but are 'out-of-this-world-delicious' when served with top quality prosciutto. I present it here in a cold melon soup; something different. The idea comes from the proprietor of a french b & b that we met last year — not being able to persuade her to share the recipe, I borrowed from many of the sources online. Like the one that we tasted in France, it was the finely shredded basil that made all the difference, giving it an unexpected contrast in flavor joined to a spoonful of melon soup.


I've made this with cantaloupe, but the flavor wasn't quite the same. The nose knows its fruits, as smell is a good indicator of taste. It goes without saying that the melon should be ripe and sweet, and unless you can be certain of this, no extra amount of sweetening will enhance it. Serve this at the start of the meal. Grilled salmon with buttered pasta and herbs make a good main course. Finish with anything really, really, chocolate.

Charentais melon soup
1 Charentais melon, or a super sweet cantaloupe (2 1/2 pounds)
juice of freshly squeezed 1/2 orange
a good pinch of salt
1-2 tablespoons honey
2-3 sweet basil leaves, cut into a fine chiffonade

Halve the melon and remove the seeds. Scoop the flesh into a food processor fitted with a blade. Process quickly until smooth. Add the orange juice, salt, and honey. Pulse to blend thoroughly.

I like my soup to be less on the gritty side, so I pour half of it through a sieve and press on the solids. After mixing the strained juice with the remainder, it goes into the fridge and chilled until very cold. Top with the basil chiffonade just before serving. Serves 4.

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Saved comment(s)

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Your melon soup looks delicious! You just gave me an idea...since i have a basil explosion going on in my backyard right now, I think I may try this with some musk melons.
JMom | Homepage | 08.10.06 - 6:41 pm

That looks so refreshing! I've never tried melon soup. After the rainy season here, I'm going to give this a try. Thank you for sharing it. :-)
Christine | Homepage | 08.10.06 - 6:22 am

What a beautiful soup - the color is amazing! I'd never heard of this melon before - hope I get a chance to try it some day!
Cathy | Homepage | 08.10.06 - 5:52 am

The soup looks delicious (and even more so after reading your text). I've never even heard about this type of melon, but I'll make sure to keep my eyes open for it in the future :-)
I love the idea of making soups out of fruits & it's something I've been wanting to try for a long time, but I haven't thought about melon soup until now ;-)
Vintage wine | Homepage | 08.09.06 - 10:54 pm

Hi Liz, I tell you...doing the metric conversion and then having to do the exchange rate thing is ALWAYS a pain, but the rates that I've posted are correct. A kilo equals to 2.2 pounds, and what I've posted is the dollar equivalent for only one pound. If it were to the kilo then you're absolutely right, it's around 3.46 to 4.89 dollars for 2.2 pounds.

Just to give an idea though, I have a 3½ pound charentais in the fridge. At 4.34 euros, I know it would burn a hole in my pocket back in the islands!
~ rowena ~ | 08.10.06 - 11:06 am

Hello there, I have been reading your blog for while now and I love your recipes and pictures! I just wanted to comment on your monetary conversion, it's not accurate. It would be more like $3.46-$4.89 for this very expensive melon! But I am sure it is worth it! I use xe.com for conversions. I told my husband about your blog and he thinks it's great! He is Filipino and has lots of family on Oahu. Nice to meet you and I will definitely continue reading your blog. Take care,
Liz | Homepage | 08.09.06 - 5:43 pm

This soup looks really refreshing! and ending the meal with something chocolate is always a must. ;-)
Kat | Homepage | 08.09.06 - 2:17 pm

LOVE those melons! the other thing you can do is use a juicer (that will eliminate the use of the sieve but have no pulp.) i will have to try your recipe sometime.
ptinfrance | Homepage | 08.09.06 - 12:02 pm