Chilled Charentais Melon Soup with Champagne and Mint Granita

⏱ 45 min · Serves 6

A glass of summer: silky, ice-cold melon soup poured over shards of sharp mint granita, finished with a fizz of chilled champagne at the table. Barely any cooking, yet it lands like a restaurant amuse — perfumed, elegant and shockingly refreshing.

Per serving: 185 kcal · 2.0g protein · 33.0g carbs · 3.5g fat

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch mint (about 40g), leaves picked
• 150ml water
• 80g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 2 ripe Charentais or cantaloupe melons (about 1.6kg total), deseeded and flesh scooped out
• 2 tbsp honey (or to taste, depending on melon sweetness)
• Juice of 1 lime, plus zest to finish
• 1 pinch fine sea salt
• 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger (optional)
• 250ml very cold champagne or dry sparkling wine, plus a little extra for serving
• 6 tsp crème fraîche, to serve (optional)
• Small mint leaves and a little cracked pink peppercorn, to garnish

Method

1. Make the granita syrup: bring the water and sugar to a simmer, stir until dissolved, then remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes.
2. Blitz the warm syrup with the mint leaves and 1 tbsp lime juice until vivid green, then strain through a fine sieve into a shallow freezer-proof tray.
3. Freeze for 30 minutes, then rake with a fork; repeat every 20 minutes (2–3 times) until you have loose emerald crystals. Keep frozen.
4. Meanwhile, blend the melon flesh with the honey, lime juice, salt and ginger, if using, until completely smooth. Pass through a fine sieve for a silky texture.
5. Chill the soup in the coldest part of the fridge for at least 30 minutes — it must be ice-cold. Taste and adjust with more lime or honey.
6. Just before serving, stir the cold champagne gently through the soup to keep the bubbles alive. Do not blend again.
7. Divide between 6 chilled shallow bowls or coupe glasses. Add a small spoon of crème fraîche if using, then crown with a generous fork-scoop of mint granita.
8. Finish with lime zest, tiny mint leaves and a whisper of cracked pink peppercorn. Serve immediately, with an extra splash of champagne poured at the table.