This cold cantaloupe soup with prosciutto-mozzarella sandwiches is a quick no-cook meal made with simply pureed melon along with baguette of cold cuts and cheese.
Few recipes that come together in short order boast sass and surprise. This chilled cantaloupe soup with prosciutto and mozzarella sandwiches is an exception. The ingredients couldn’t be more accessible. Just in a slightly less expected form than the familiar cheese plate of cold cuts and fruit.–David Leite
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Cantaloupe Soup FAQs
What other types of chilled soup can I make?
Chilled soups made from raw vegetables are commonly known as gazpacho. They are frequently made from tomatoes, however, other variations include green gazpacho, made with cucumbers and greens, or white gazpacho, made with cucumber and fennel.
How do I choose a ripe cantaloupe?
A ripe cantaloupe will feel heavy for its size and will sound hollow when tapped. Avoid any fruits that have moldy or soft spots or are bruised.
In this recipe
Cantaloupe Soup with Prosciutto-Mozzarella Sandwiches
Ingredients
For the sandwiches
- 2 small baguettes
- Two (8-ounce) balls fresh mozzarella thickly sliced
- 1/2 pound prosciutto thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
For the soup
- 2 ripe cantaloupes chilled, halved, and seeded
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 16 mint leaves cut into strips or torn into itty bitty pieces
Directions
Make the prosciutto-mozzarella sandwiches
- Cut each baguette in half lengthwise and then slice each baguette portion crosswise into thirds.
- Place a slice or three of both mozzarella and prosciutto on the bottom portion of each baguette. Drizzle with the oil and sandwich with the corresponding top baguette portion.
Make the cantaloupe soup
- Purée the cantaloupe and salt in a blender until smooth. Pour the soup into bowls and sprinkle with the pepper and fresh mint.
- Serve the soup with the sandwiches.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
I think we just discovered a summertime equivalent of the grilled cheese and tomato soup combo. I love the twist on the “sorta-fancy” cantaloupe-prosciutto pairing and getting an easy laid-back meal out of it. Creamy mozzarella and fruity olive oil were nice additions, and fresh mint made the soup a tonic on a muggy evening awaiting thundery showers.
I lucked out when I swung by the market—cantaloupe melons were fragrant and ripe, and the bread was still warm when I grabbed it out of the bakery basket. I went straight home and assembled (as this was hardly cooking) a lovely meal in 30 minutes.
Baguettes could vary in size depending on the bakery. Mine were 20 inches long, as I did not find what I would call “small baguettes.” I recommend making the sandwiches with whole loaves, and cutting them into portions that suite individual appetite.
If you prefer a sharper contrast between the soup and sandwiches, you could certainly replace the mozzarella with saltier cheese such as shaved Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano.
This cantaloupe soup with prosciutto-mozzarella sandwiches is a lovely dog days of summer meal! It’s also a visually appealing combo.
We enjoyed this on the patio, and the meal was so refreshing we didn’t mind the humidity. Add to that the ease and no cooking required assembly, this will be on our summer rotation.
Be sure your cantaloupes are ripe as they blend better and have better flavor in the soup. The mint was delicious but any favorite herb would work.
Originally published September 01, 2019
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
This needs some heavy cream for substance and depth.
Thanks so much for the suggestion, Sheila. We’ll definitely have to give that a try.
I make cantaloupe (and honeydew) soup often. I add a deseeded jalapeño or two and fresh lime juice when I puree it in the processor. A very nice presentation is to do both melon soups and gently pour them into the left and right halves of a rim soup plate. They do not mix so you have orange on one side and green on the other. Sprinkle a line of toasted thin sliced almond “seeds” down the middle.
Nice, Michael King. I do the same in the fall with a butternut squash soup with honey and a black bean soup with cumin and chipotle. Perfect for Halloween! Just as yours is perfect for the dog days of summer.
This sounds like the *perfect* blend of sweet and salty. Have you also tried the sandwiches with a little vinaigrette instead of just the oil? I’ll bet that would compliment the cheese and prosciutto nicely.
@}—-Rosie
That looks so satisfying together and really adaptable to items on hand. I always need a dessert so I would add my corn ice cream.
Exactly, Penny. So simple. So versatile. Curious to hear which corn ice cream recipe you fancy. I’ve been dabbling with some but haven’t settled on any, so love to know your preference…thanks!
Sure! From one midwestern to another, as I eat a tomato sandwich.
2 ears of bicolor corn cut off of the cob and cob scraped well
I add 1 cup of milk and whirl it up in the blender then I strain it.
I add this corn milk to 1 can of sweetened condensed milk and 2 cups
cream. Season with a pinch of salt, cinnamon, and Mexican vanilla.
I am so glad to have made it. I also like a light drizzle of maple syrup.
Ah, perfect, Penny! Of course, the sweetened condensed milk as cheat. Brilliant. And yes, you called me out on my midwestern penchant for sweet corn—not just for eating it, but buying gobs and gobs of it. Just can’t help myself. This will help make a dent in it…
Renee, this is for you to check out.