Chilled Melon Soup

While fresh fruit makes it to our table for dessert often, sometimes we appreciate a hint of variety, and that's precisely what this chilled melon soup provides.   Melon - we use an heirloom orange fleshed honeydew melon, though any melon will do - is simply pureed and served with fresh berries.   The soup is remarkably easy to prepare and makes an elegant, wholesome finish to supper.

Melon is packed with nutrients like beta carotene while fresh berries are rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber.   Both melon and berries are packed with antioxidants as well.   Indeed, melon boasts an ORAC value of 315 while the rankings for blackberries and raspberries are 5,347 and 4,882, respectively.   The nutrients of berries in combination with melon make for a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory food.

Unlike many of the recipes listed at Nourished Kitchen, Chilled Melon Soup is fat-free so take care to serve the soup after a rich meal with plenty of wholesome, healthy fats to maximize your body's ability to fully absorb the soup's nutrients.   You could also spoon a   bit of creme fraiche into the soup as well.   Take care to choose a fully ripe melon - almost too ripe.   Not only will the melon be strikingly sweet without added honey or other sugars, but it will also contain the more antioxidants than a less ripe melon.