Paleo Soup – Chilled Watermelon Soup
The heat is definitely on, and this Watermelon Paleo soup recipe will help you beat it instantly. You read correctly: This is a cold, watermelon soup. Cold soups are the summer’s biggest hit. However, Paleo soups are better than regular soups because they are made with zero preservatives and with the most natural ingredients out there. Truly, though, this particular cold soup is one of my absolutely favorite Paleo soup recipes.
“I Will NEVER Eat Watermelon Cold Soup”That is what I used to say when I wrongly compared a cold melon soup with a cold chicken soup. Then, I tried it and became convinced. Just think “smoothie with a spoon”. When you try the first spoonful, you will notice that it will go from cold to template in your palate.It will be sweet enough to be enjoyed as a dessert, but hearty enough to be a main meal, or even to eat for breakfast. Nutrients, flavor and hydration are just a few of the collateral benefits that you will enjoy once you finish it. I guarantee you that you will truly enjoy this, and many other of my Paleo soup recipes.
Tools and Process
Get your food processor ready. Get 1 seedless watermelon and remove the rind. Cut up the watermelon until you make 5 cups. This is enough to generate a lot of flavor and texture. Most grocery stores sell watermelon already cut up. Two containers and a half would make the 5 cups that you need.Then, gather the rest of the ingredients and puree them together. Make sure you follow the directions, especially when the recipe calls for anything without rinds, pits, or seeds.
Get the following:
- 4 pitted medjool dates
- 2 teaspoons of minced fresh ginger
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 10 large mint leaves
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 10 ice cubes
OPTIONAL: 4 wedges of fresh lime or black sesame seeds for garnishWhen you place the ingredients in the processor, ensure you blend them on high for 30 seconds until they are completely blended. I would suggest that you chop the mint leaves separately first, and then add them to the rest of the fruit since these are the hardest to get to the blade.Take a ladle and pour your fresh Watermelon Paleo soup into bowls. You may use the optional wedges of lime or the sesame seeds as garnish.
Ingredients
- Seedless watermelon (remove rind) - 5 cups
- Medjool dates (pitted) - 4
- Fresh ginger (minced) - 2 teaspoons
- Fresh lime juice - ¼ cup
- Mint leaves - 10 large
- Sea salt - ¾ teaspoon
- Ice cubes - 10
- Fresh lime or black sesame seeds for garnish - 4 wedges
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a food processor or high powered blender.
- Put the blender on high and combine the ingredients for approximately 30 seconds or until fully mixed. Occasionally, the leaves may require a little more blend time to become finely chopped.
- Pour into bowls and sprinkle with sesame seeds or garnish with lime wedge as desired and serve.
The Flavor Fest
You will first get a touch of mint and ginger. This combination will do wonders for your stomach if you have digestive issues (or a hangover, to be fair).While the watermelon constitutes most of the “meat” of the recipe, its mild flavor will be spiked by the added sweetness of the medjool dates. The lime juice and dash of sea salt cut through the sweetness and balance it out without ruining the essential fruit flavors that are essential to the soup. All of this will be a flavor fest in your mouth.
Benefits
Medjool dates pack fiber, low calories and exquisite flavor. According to the medjool.com information page, the nutrients in the dates include:Vitamin A, B6, Beta Carotene, Betaine, Choline, Retinol Activity Equivalent, Lutein + Zeaxanthin, Vitamin K, Niacin, Folate, Folic acid, and Pantothenic Acid.Watermelons pack in Vitamins A, C, Iron, and Calcium. Ginger and mint sooth your stomach but also add a spike to the soup that will make you feel energized. The coldness of the soup, because of the ice used for its making, will hydrate you and cool you off even more.
Why Paleo?
If you are considering becoming a Paleo practitioner, allow me to just give you a few basic facts to fully understand how it works. This nourishment lifestyle, also known as the “Caveman Diet”, has, as its basic premise, the practice of eating like the hunters and gatherers that were our primary ancestors.Scientifically speaking, our bodies are naturally made to break down the basic elements found in nature: proteins, nutrients, and other basic foods that primarily feed our tissues, bones, and muscles.Notice that the overall downfall of health that has come over the human race coincides with the inclusion of additives and preservatives to the things that we eat. This also includes the excessive consumption of starches and simple carbohydrates.Therefore, it is simple: As long as you consume foods naturally found in nature and without any additives, you can eat it. This goes for meats, fruits, vegetables, almonds, and herbs. The idea is to mix these together to come up with new textures and flavors. It is an excellent way to get the best out of what nature has to give.
Featured Image Photo Credit: Noreen Gilletz
