Chilled Melon and Ginger Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ripe Galia melon, peeled and seeded
• 1 in (2.5 cm) piece of fresh ginger, peeled
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 7 oz (200 g) white seedless grapes
• 1 lime juice and grated zest
• 1 tsp dried mint
• ¼ cup Greek yogurt, beaten
• salt and freshly ground
• black pepper

• 2 tbsp mint leaves
• pinch of sugar
• 1 oz (25 g) crystallized ginger, finely chopped

1. Coarsely chop three-quarters of the melon flesh into bite-sized chunks. Finely chop the remainder and set aside. Grate the ginger and squeeze any juice over the melon chunks. Discard the leftover ginger.
2. Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan over low heat and lightly toast the fennel seeds for about 30 seconds, until you smell an aniseedlike aroma. Grind the seeds to a coarse powder using a mortar and pestle.
3. Put the ground fennel seeds into a blender or food processor with the coarsely chopped melon and ginger juice. Add the grapes, lime juice and zest, and dried mint. Pulse until smooth and push through a sieve to remove the skins.
4. Stir in the yogurt, season, and chill thoroughly—it’s best to half-freeze this soup, then blend it well just before serving. Spoon into bowls, adding a small pile of the reserved melon to each one. Shred the fresh mint, mix with the sugar and crystallized ginger, and scatter over the soup. Serve immediately.