Watermelon-Rhubarb Soup
The Nitty Gritty:
Unbelievably refreshing- Level: 1
- Prep Time: 35 minutes plus 6 hours in fridge
- Yields: About 3 quarts
- Tags: dessert soup
This chilled dessert soup is unbelievably refreshing after a hearty summer meal. Chef Adam Bannasch of Zambra in Asheville, NC, serves it with basil ice cream, which is just about the best thing you’ll have all summer.
Bannasch recommends garnishing with whipped cream, melon, strawberries, or mint. The soup pairs well with a drier pastry, such as pound cake, biscotti, or cookies. Last — and most importantly, he says — the soup also can be used as a mixer for cocktails.
Best made at least six hours ahead, or the day before serving.
Thank you to Chef Bannasch for sharing this recipe with HG readers!
Ingredients:
- 3 cups rhubarb , diced and packed when measured
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 cups cold water
- 6 cups watermelon, diced and packed when measured
- ¼ vanilla bean, or 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions:
Put water, rhubarb, sugar, and vanilla in a pot. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Shut off and let steep for 15 more minutes. Strain and discard rhubarb and vanilla bean.
Puree diced watermelon in a blender. Combine watermelon juice with sugar/ water mixture in a large bowl or pot.
Chill in fridge for at least six hours. Serve very cold, in chilled bowls.
Comments
By Alison L. McConnell
Alison L. McConnell is the HG’s editor and publisher. She also runs The Humble Gourmand’s catering and prepared food business, which serves as a conduit between Chesapeake Bay watershed farmers and butchers, artisan/small-batch producers up and down the East Coast, and hungry clients in the Washington area.
A native of New Jersey and upstate New York, Alison attended Bowdoin College in Maine and the London School of Economics before settling in Washington in 2004. She studied the culinary arts at L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, MD. She abides by a long-standing family motto: McConnells always finish their desserts.
About The Humble Gourmand
The Humble Gourmand is published the first Friday of each month, edited by Alison L. McConnell, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and writer. It is designed to offer straightforward lessons and advice to aspiring cooks, oenophiles, and all other eaters and drinkers.
The Humble Gourmand encourages users to comment on any and all of its features, but reserves the right to remove any material deemed inappropriate.
Tanya
July 10 9:21 p.m. 1This looks like a fantastic way to use some of the plentiful watermelon we have on hand. Thx!
Alison
July 14 9:25 a.m. 2It definitely is -- and it is SO easy to make ahead of a dinner party. When you have leftovers, mix with ice and some vodka or white rum, maybe some mint or basil muddled in the glass... Perfection.
Gemma
July 19 9:31 p.m. 3Hi Alison! Been checking this great blog since I wrote the Orient article way back in sophomore year...this dessert looked so unbelievably delicious that I couldn't resist. I've served it for the past three nights in a row and had everyone ask me where I got the recipe! It's been great with vanilla ice cream, so I can only imagine how delicious basil would be. Thanks!