Vanilla Melon Soup — Soupe de melon vanillée

vanilla melon soup

Vanilla Melon Soup

When I was in Paris in last May, I did one thing that I love doing, but do rarely. Let’s face it! Once you are married or live as a couple, it is more likely that you go to restaurants accompanied than alone. But P. had already returned to Boston and I was to stay longer with my family in Lorraine first, then with my friend Nathalie by the canal St Martin in Paris. So during that time, it were as if I had become single again. And that felt strange strange and strange good. Inhabituel ! (Unusual!) I am not an expert of Paris because I have never lived in the city, but after years of returning to stay with Nathalie in her apartment by the canal St Martin, I have developed habits of going back to favorite places, like a local would. Paris has become a lieu de passage, a place through which we transit while travelling from one country to another. By the canal St Martin, our usual places include the bakery across the bridge from my friend’s house –I am always so disappointed when I get there, expecting my favorite pain à l’ancienne, and it is la fermeture annuelle (annual closing, which is a foreign concept to people in the US, right?) –, the café Chez Prune one street next to the bakery, and the restaurant Marine by the canal. Over the years, I have seen cafés open in the whole area like mushrooms grow, and have always wondered: “How do they all survive as there are so many of them?” “Comment ils s’en sortent ?” I would often ask my friend Nath (how do they manage?), to which she responds “Béa, la seule chose qui marche quand rien d’autre ne va, c’est la bouffe !” (the only thing that works when the rest doesn’t is grub!) Well be it then!

French people like la bouffe! (note that the verb bouffer is a different meaning since it more or less equals “to stuff one’s face”, and we don’t do that sort of thing, do we ?

And so during one full day, I walked the Parisian streets alone, back and forth, from the 5th, 6th to the 7th arrondissements, and I did something that every girl would do in Paris if left alone, I shopped. This part of our Parisian trips always worries P. somewhat, but he should not feel this way. I am full of self-control! Crois moi ! (believe me!) Right, for every credit card holder like we are, the people living in the US, it is agreed that Paris becomes a dangerous place. Shops, shops, and more when you think it is over! So many, so much variety! Faced with much to do, I however did not lose my North (Je n’ai pas perdu le Nord), which in real English translates like “I did not forget the essential things“. By 2 pm, I was hungry and decided to stop for lunch at the terrace of a great looking bistro I had spotted earlier on, in rue de Seine. Shops there might be, but grabbing a sandwich to have it on the go was out of the question. I would sit down and have lunch, by myself, in a bistro.

As you all know, chosing a restaurant in Paris can become a real casse-tête chinois, a big headache indeed. Although located on what is known as a busy street, the bistro I stopped at still felt a very quiet place to have lunch, and I was just happy to sit outside, looking at people go by.

Bistro Pères et filles on rue de Seine.

I really liked their menu. The food looked original, and extremely French. A high quality for the ingredients used was obvious. Everything turned out to be a nice surprise, fresh and seasonal. I decided to go for two delicious appetizers, amongst which was a vanilla melon soup. Its colour, taste, and texture made it into a fully satisfying and light entrée (appetizer). “Mmmmm, je me demande bien ce qu’il y a dans cette soupe !” (I wonder what is in this soup!) I asked the waiting staff, but was giving the Ah-mais-c’est-le-secret-de-la-maison type of answer (house secret). Ah bon? Well, then I would still try to make my own! My version is simple, sweet and refreshing. You can serve it as a mise en bouche, or an small appetizer! And it will be good enough until I return to Bistro Pères et filles.

Bistro Pères et Filles
81, rue de Seine,
Paris, 5ème arrondissement
Tél : 01.43.25.00.28.

vanilla melon soup

Vanilla Melon Soup

(for 4 servings)

You need:

  • 1 lb + 5 oz ripe Tuscan melon
  • 4 oz plain yogurt *
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 2 Tbsp Muscat wine**
  • 6 fresh mint leaves

*I would avoid fat-free plain yogurt, or yogurt too tart in taste. Here in the US, the brand I like to use a lot for this dish is the Canadian brand, Liberty.
**Muscat wine is a dessert wine.

Steps :

  • Peel the melon and remove the seeds. Cut it in big chunks.
  • Place them in a mixer, or blender and add the yogurt. Mix well.
  • Open the vanilla pod with a knife, and scrape out the seeds.
  • Add the vanilla seeds with the mint to the melon purée, and mix.
  • Add the Muscat wine and mix.
  • Place in the fridge for a few hours and serve very fresh.

It does not get easier than that.
I also made a variant adding two freshly squeezed oranges to it.

Le coin français
Soupe de melon vanillée


(pour 4 portions)

Ingrédients :

  • 600 g de melon bien mûr
  • 1 yaourt nature Velouté
  • 1 gousse de vanille
  • 2 càs de muscat
  • 6 feuilles de menthe fraîche


Étapes :

  • Épépinez le melon et coupez-le en gros dés.
  • Mettez-les dans un mixeur avec le yaourt.
  • Fendez la gousse de vanille en deux et retirez les graines en raclant l’intérieur de la gousse.
  • Ajoutez au mélange précédent avec la menthe, et mixez.
  • Ajoutez le muscat et mélangez.
  • Mettez au frigo pendant quelques heures avant de servir très frais!

J’ai également réalisé une variante, en ajoutant deux oranges fraîchement pressées.

Posted in Appetizers, Food & Travel, Fruit, Gluten Free, Soup, Vegetarian

30 comments

  1. Oh this sounds divine Béa! It reminds me of the soup I made for Christmas last year, (Fresh Peach with Champagne) however perhaps I’ll try this one instead this year!

  2. I love melon soup! It’s such a beautiful color and it looks very refreshing. I make one with lime and ginger. I think I’ll have to try vanilla and mint too.

  3. How lovely to have a day to one’s self. Regenerating time I call it. The melon soup would be the perfect soul food for such a day.

  4. Yummm, very intriguing recipe. I need to try it! I’d never thought about adding vanilla with cantaloupe/melon. And Muscat too (I usually use Port).

    Merci!

  5. j’adore la soupe de melon, j’en ai posté une la semaine derniere, à base de gingembre, toute simple…la tienne à la vanille me tente bien!
    et j’apprends que tu es de Lorraine? j’habite à Paris, mais je suis originaire de Metz, marrant…

  6. Right now in Lyon the weather is so hot that this soup comes as a really welcome inspiration for me, Bea. Thanks for sharing it. As an entree, Bea, should I use my medium, little bowls or the little amuse-geule bowls?

  7. Yay! Melon soup! I just made something similiar, from an idea that I got from a french woman (but of course!) in the Languedoc. I will post about it when I’m done being lazy…

  8. j’aime aussi la note de muscat! à tester! Et je voulais te dire que grâce à toi, je me remets à lire en anglais, ce que je ne faisais plus depuis 3ans, et ce malgré ma flemme car j’adore te lire!

  9. I already did the melon soup with lime, orange, mint, dried fruits, pomegranate, basil… but NEVER with vanilla ! As a melon soup addict I have to try this one ASAP, another recipe from your tartine in my personnal cookbook !

  10. Ah non, moi ce soir j’ai prévu melon-carotte 😉 à propos des cafés, je me suis fait la même réflexion à propos de Paris, même au fond du 19e, il y a des places où ils sont tous rassemblés, très nombreux, mais… ils sont toujours là et ils y resteront longtemps. Chacun à sa petite clientèle d’habitués 😉

  11. Hi Catherine, thanks. Hope you like it.

    Bron, I would love to hear more about your soup!

    Mercotte, oui c’est la vanille qui m’a aussi intriguee

    Natalia, your soups looks very nice. Lime and ginger, did you add something else?

    Tanna, absolutely, time spent alone is key!

    Fabienne, essaie ce bistro, tu verras, c’est super sympa et bon!

    Anne, merci

    Pascal, port is definitely a great choice too!.

    Liliravioli, ah mais oui, j’ai fait toutes mes etudes a Metz, alors je connais! 😉

    Lucy, thanks a lot! I would suggest small bowls. I made it last night, and it does make a small appetizer for 4, or mise en bouches for 6 (shot glasses)

    Rowena, come on! Don’t be lazy! Get back to work! 😉 I want to hear about your soup!

    Alhya, j’en suis ravie! quand ca parle bouffe, tout a coup, la motivation resurgit! 😉

    Cathy, ah oui tu me donnes envie de faire du sorbet maintenant.

    Framboises, you have a nice collection here. Please please share! especially the pomegranate and basil

    Stephane, ah ca a l’air bien appetissant ca, carotte et orange, tu me donnes des idees! Je n’y avais pas pense!

  12. Hey! How did you know that I was craving melon soup??? Seriously. This morning I cut into one and thought, “Wouldn’t a soup be wonderful?!”. And now here it is.

    Beautiful as always!

  13. Béa, tu me fais plaisir. Le yogourt Liberty est vraiment excellent. Il est préparé par des immigrants Russes qui, lorsqu’ils sont arrivés au Québec, étaient si contents qu’ils ont appelé leur produit Liberty! Une belle histoire et des gens qui font des produits d’une superbe qualité. C’est vraiment chouette de spécifier que tu utilises leur produit.

  14. J’aime beaucoup ta recette. Très simple et certainement délicieuse. J’attends mes melons canaris et je m’y mets.

  15. AH yes Ivonne, maybe I read your mind 😉

    Melissa, of course you do, ahahah!

    Tarzile, ah quelle chouette histoire, je ne savais pas! C’est super drole cela. On devrait la raconter cette histoire!

  16. This looks divine! Living in Paris, I do enjoy the rare day alone to walk and shop. Chez Prune is a super cute place and I never get tired of the Canal St. Martin. The soup sounds great – thanks! I enjoy your blog!

  17. Pile poil ce que je cherchais pour faire en entrée pour une dinette chez une copine ce soir.

    J’espère ce cela leur plaira.

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  19. I was wondering if I could use the first image for my ICT school project in my “Recipe Cards” as I cannot find a more vivid image than this one :)but it is copyrighted. Could you please reply as soon as possible?

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