Chilled melon soup with prosciutto, ginger, and mint

Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

• 1 very ripe orange-fleshed melon, seeded and peeled.
• 1 pinch salt
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger [or more to taste]
• 2 oz prosciutto, diced or cut into thin slivers
• Several leaves fresh mint
• 1 Tbsp Grand Marnier or Cointreau [optional]

Instructions

1. Set aside about 1/8 of melon for garnish, and process remaining melon together with salt, pepper, lime juice, and ginger in a food processor or  blender until very smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. 
2. Transfer to a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.
3. Saute prosciutto until crisp, and drain.
4. Roll mint leaves into a cigar shape and slice crosswise very finely in a chiffonade.
5. Cut remaining melon into small dice.
6. Into chilled bowls, add diced melon and pour in one cup of the puree. Garnish with prosciutto and mint and serve immediately.

Notes:

• For smoother texture, run processed melon through a sieve before chilling - you can skip this step to save time, but in my opinion it is worth it.