Watermelon Soup Recipe With Pickled Rind

More Recipes • Soup Recipes • Xanthan Gum Recipes
Written by Jason Logsdon

When watermelon is in season it's hard to resist. For some parties you need nothing more than to slice it and hand it out with paper towels for people to scarf down. However, sometimes you want something a little more refined and that's where this recipe comes in. This modernist watermelon soup recipe uses xanthan gum to help hold the soup together and is topped with a spicy pickled watermelon rind.

Watermelon soup pickled rind

One of my favorite combinations to pair with watermelon is jalapeño, lime, and mint. Those ingredients go great together and each one offers its own little something that the others lack. For this chilled soup, they combine together in a sweet broth that has undertones of spice, mint, and sourness to round it out. I top it with a spicy pickled rind, a part of the watermelon typically overlooked. The rinds take a day or two to make but they will last in the refrigerator for at least a week.

I personally like the rustic look of the pureed ingredients but if you want a more refined soup you can strain it after pureeing it, though you will want to wait until after straining it to add the xanthan gum. You can also carbonate the soup using a whipping siphon if you want to add even more flair to it.

Modernist Tools, Ingredients, and Techniques Used

If you would like more information about the modernist techniques, ingredients, and equipment used in the watermelon soup recipe with pickled rind you can check out the following.
Watermelon soup pickled rind side

Also, if you are just getting started experimenting with molecular gastronomy and modernist cuisine then I highly recommend one of these molecular gastronomy kits. They have everything you need to do many different dishes.

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Watermelon Soup With Pickled Rind Recipe

  • Published: June 9, 2014
  • By Jason Logsdon
  • Prep Time: 20 Minutes
  • Pickling Time: 2 Days
  • Total Cooking Time: 30 Minutes
  • Makes: 16 to 24 small servings
Watermelon soup pickled rind overhead

Watermelon Soup With Pickled Rind Ingredients

Because they use modernist ingredients, these amounts are given in metric by weight. For more information on how to measure modernist ingredients check out this article.

For the Watermelon Soup

1,200g watermelon, rind and seeds removed
10g jalapeño
50g lime juice
15g mint
1.2g xanthan gum, 0.1%
Salt and pepper

For the Pickled Rind

400g watermelon rind
50g salt
750g water
150g brown sugar
175g apple cider vinegar
175g water
50g jalapeños, sliced

For Garnish

Mint leaves
Pickled rind, cut into strips

Watermelon Soup With Pickled Rind Instructions

For the Watermelon Soup

Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Processes until everything is broken down and the soup is nice and smooth. Store the soup in the refrigerator until ready to serve, it will keep for several days.

For the Pickled Rind

Trim the watermelon off the rind, leaving just a bit of the red flesh. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough, outer layer of green. Cut the watermelon rind into 1.5" x 0.5" (37mm x 12mm) strips.

Make a brine by combining the salt and 750 grams of water in a bowl, mixing until the salt is dissolved. Add the watermelon rind and let soak for at least 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Drain the watermelon rinds and rinse off the excess brine.

Add the brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and water to a pot. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the watermelon rind and jalapeños then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes then remove from the heat and let cool.

You can store the pickled rinds in any air-tight container like mason jars or Tupperware. Let them rest for another 12 to 24 hours for the flavors to mellow before serving.

To Assemble the Watermelon Soup and Rind

Fill a bowl or small glass with the watermelon-jalapeño soup. Top with a few mint leaves and a pickled watermelon rind.
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All tags for this article: Carbonation, Fruit, Party Foods, Pickling, Recipe, Soup, Whipping Siphon, Whipping Siphon Carbonation, Xanthan Gum, Xanthan Gum Thickening

Jason logsdon headshot This article is by me, Jason Logsdon. I'm an adventurous home cook and professional blogger who loves to try new things, especially when it comes to cooking. I've explored everything from sous vide and whipping siphons to pressure cookers and blow torches; created foams, gels and spheres; made barrel aged cocktails and brewed beer. I have also written 10 cookbooks on modernist cooking and sous vide and I run the AmazingFoodMadeEasy.com website.
Affiliate Disclaimer: Some links on this site might be affiliate links that if used to purchased products I might receive money. I like money but I will not endorse something I don't believe in. Please feel free to directly go to any products I link to and bypass the referral link if you feel uncomfortable with me receiving funds.
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