Watermelon-Ginger Soup … and Lightlife!

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During my second trip to Brazil, I traveled to Salvador, Bahia to work in an orphanage with children who were HIV positive. When not at the orphanage, I spent much of my time in Pelourinho, the historic city center, which means ‘whipping post,’ as it was once the center of the slave trade in the area. Needless to say, being in Salvador and especially in Pelourinho conjured up a number of often conflicting emotions. In short, the experience was quite bittersweet. Bitter: historical and contemporary dynamics that repress. Sweet: psychological and physical resilience that has allowed and still allows individuals to resist greed and oppression.

One day in Pelourinho, I found a joint bookstore/cafe where I ordered the “watermelon soup” in broken Portuguese. It was refreshing and sweet and smooth and pretty pink. In recreating this soup myself however, I wanted a flavor profile that more closely reflected my emotions that day. Β I wanted to invoke bittersweetness, so, I included ginger, mint, and strawberries. It was, well, heavenly, and the perfect dish to accompany deep thoughts or to consume when you want to lose your thoughts all together…

Two things before getting to the soup “recipe” (it’s actually not much of a recipe…). I’d like to thank Anne at From My Sweet Heart for the Versatile Blogger Award she passed on to me. I’d also like to thank Becky for the Bakers Award she passed on. I am filled with gratitude for being recognized by two of the kindest bloggers and greatest cooks/bakers in the foodie blogosphere!

Lastly (and then I swear I’ll get to the soup!), super exciting news! Recently, I was contacted by a representative at Lightlife about the possibility of creating vegan/vegetarian dishes using their “pro-veggie” products! Um, can I say, ‘you had me at hello?!?!??!!!’ I agreed and received a cooler full of their products! Um, can I say, ‘woooooo hoooo?!??!?!!!’ To highlight the deliciousness and versatility of these fantastic veggie products, I am going to post one recipe each Friday throughout the summer highlighting a different Lightlife product. Stay tuned! (I’m super excited about this, can you tell? :D).

And now, onto the soup!

Watermelon-Ginger Soup (Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

2 cups cubed, chilled watermelon

2-4 inch chunk ginger

1/4 cup water (optional, see below)

strawberries, mint

Method:

*Peel and roughly chop ginger. Juice ginger. If you do not have a juicer, blend ginger and water and strain.

*Blend watermelon and desired amount of ginger juice until watermelon is smooth and frothy. (I used all of the ginger juice and it was SPICY … but I really liked it). Serve in a bowl with chopped strawberries and mint.

Written by

Tiffany M. Griffin is the woman behind Como Water, Washington DC’s premiere veg-centric cuisine consulting company. Through cooking classes, demonstrations, catering, and consultations, Como Water gives people the opportunity to learn how to prepare veg-centric cuisine that boasts maximum flavor, with minimal effort. Tiffany is quickly becoming a go-to expert on the future of veg-centric cuisine, and is a regular contributor to Como Water, the blog, as well as to vegetarian and vegan sites across the Internet. For over a decade, this self-taught, entrepreneurial expert has developed a set of tried and true techniques for making simple, delicious, and sometimes decadent veg-centric dishes. Featured on the Steve Harvey Show and other leading media outlets, Tiffany was born and raised in Springfield, MA. She then earned Bachelors degrees in Psychology and Communications from Boston College and a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan. She now resides in Washington DC, where she has worked in the US Senate and at a federal agency on issues around health, food, nutrition, and international food aid/development, and of course, as the owner of Como Water. Tiffany gets culinary inspiration from the food she grew up eating, and from her travels throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa. She is dedicated to sharing her wealth of knowledge on veg-centric cuisine with others and to help others live by her mantraβ€”love life, live long, and eat veg-centric cuisine!

Comments

  1. Sounds very refreshing! I love ginger, would have never thought to put it with watermelon!

  2. Interesting recipe, and watermelon’s right up my alley! Thanks for sharing!

  3. Another lovely recipe! So refreshing for the summer. I can see this being naughty-fied with a drop of white wine or a dash of rum too!

  4. I love the juicing of the ginger — smart…and very, very smooth! Theresa

  5. This look soooooo beautiful. I am thinking of making it for my little one (reducing the amount of ginger as she’s not even 4)… she love everything pink. So this is a good one for her and I am sure we’ll all like it! Congrats on the awards! Well deserved!

  6. Totally diggin this soup Tiff. The Mr. bought watermelon yesterday so I’m halfway there. Congrats on your windfall from Lightlife; you’re on your way. Big Thangs Poppin!!!!!

  7. flavourful innovative soup haven’t had like this

  8. Gorgeous! How beautiful is that color?! MY GOODNESS. Great recipe. Fantastic post and congratulations. πŸ™‚

    I <3 those vegetarian meats too. They got me through pregnancy twice…when I was craving something savory and meaty. haha. Everyone thought I would cave to a hamburger. They were wrong. πŸ˜‰

    • Nice! I have hope! πŸ˜€

  9. I LOVE chilled soups, especially in the spring and summer. I can’t wait to try this one. It is so pretty and looks so refreshing! And congratulations Tiffy…..you deserve every bit of recognition you are getting….and then some. : )

  10. Very Summery! and refreshing! Just perfect for our weather that’s gone totally bonkers right now.

  11. That must be very refreshing, it looks great too. I’m a Brazilian and never been to Pelourinho…but really would like to go. Maybe one day.

  12. Beautiful post and beautiful soup–love the addition of the ginger. And congrats!

  13. What a lovely and refreshing soup, really wonderful post too! I can see how great person you are…thanks for sharing! btw your photos are beautiful!

  14. What a stupendous warm weather soup! I adore the addition of ginger…so lovely and refreshing. And congratulations on your exciting offer…very cool!!!

  15. holy cow Tiffany – this looks so refreshing – I would and could have this as a juice every single day…

  16. We’re just about to the time when this soup will be perfect on the table. It looks fantastic.

  17. The soup is so beautiful! How fun for summer, and CONGRATS on your lightlife news – that is so exciting!!! Good for you!

  18. Definitely in my good books. I love twisting things like this into sweet experiences! And, seriously, who doesn’t love watermelon and ginger? So refreshing!

  19. What an innovative recipe! Beautiful and refreshing….

  20. Pretty awesome pink soup! I’m thinking the combo of watermelon and ginger is pretty much genius. Oh! And I can’t wait to see what lovely little veggie dishes you whip up from your cooler of fun stuff πŸ™‚ Thanks for sharing!

  21. Que gostoso! This sounds like an amazing soup…I would have never thought of using the flavors of watermelon and ginger together. Lucky you to have travelled and had such amazing, if difficult, experiences in Bahia…I have yet to make it to Brazil but need to ASAP! Good to know that there are some non-meat options there.

  22. Hello Tiffany! As I love your blog so much, I am passing along several awards to you that you can find here: http://www.manusmenu.com/chicken-cotolette-with-cheese πŸ™‚

    Have a great day!

  23. What a lovely idea for a hot day. πŸ™‚

  24. What a spectacular find resulting from such a noble trip. Many talk about making the world a better pllace but you’re doing it…and..savoring unique cultural experiences as well

  25. How refreshing. I love the idea of this soup on a hot day. Juicing the ginger is a wonderful idea. Lovely blog too. Glad I found it through foodbuzz.

  26. This sounds perfect for those hot summer nights. Very refreshing.

  27. OMGosh! That looks like, absolutely divine! I think I’m in love….fruit soups are so fab in the hot summer time. It’s cool here today so I’m making chowder—but that soup will soon be on my menu—for sure.
    Congrats on the “lightlife” gig! AWESOME!!!!

  28. What a marvelous combination of soup! I love it! You are always creative and also a challenger! I never had “pink” soup and this is such an eye-catcher! It seems like you have a lot of unique experiences such as a trip to Salvador and volunteer work. I’m looking forward to getting to know you more. πŸ™‚

  29. Great looking soup! And congrats on working with Lightlife – huge honor!!

  30. Wow love how fresh and simple this recipe is! The color is beautiful too. Yum!

  31. Thank you for sharing your experience in Brazil! What a memorable experience! AND congrats on your opportunity with LightLife foods, that is going to be amazing! I can not wait to see what recipes you share each Friday:-) Your soup is both colorful, and sounds actually really delicious! I am always nervous to try cold soups, but I am intrigued by this recipe:-)
    Hugs, Terra

  32. I just tried the Mexican “beef” by Lightlife and loved it! Can’t wait to see what you come up with.

    The soup looks great – perfect summer refreshment! Love the idea of watermelon and ginger. πŸ™‚

  33. Those last two soups you’ve posted sound so refreshing and delicious!

  34. Congrats on your Top 9!! This soup looks amazing, it reminds me of a strawberry gazpacho I had last time I was in Cape Town (my dad lives there). That, and an outstanding passion fruit souffle were the food highlights of my trip. Thanks for reminding me, I’m definitely buying a watermelon this week!! ;D

  35. Tiffany, a huge bravo for all your successes. Just great news on Lightlife and awards… fasten seat belts, everyone. Tiffany is taking off! Brilliant.

  36. This sounds like a refreshing soup. It looks so fresh and sounds so delightful πŸ™‚

  37. DELICIOUS!! Your soup is amazing, Tiffany πŸ™‚ I will definitely try this!!

  38. This soup looks so refreshing. Congrats on Top 9 Girl! Gorgeous picture.

  39. sounds so refreshing!

  40. This soup is gorgeous. I love watermelon and I eat usually half of watermelon with spoon, but I never thought of it as a soup. The combination of flavors you added is amazing. Also beautiful that you share the story behind your recipe.
    Congrats on awards and keep on the inspiring blog. Love to read your posts.

  41. Woo-hoo Top 9!! You Go Girl!!!

  42. This soup is so colorful. It looks delicious. Congrats on receiving all of those delicious Lightlife products. I am sure you will love them! I have not come across any Lightlife product that I did not like.

  43. Beautiful pictures, just to start with, and congrats on the opportunity with Lightlife. This soup looks and sounds amazing. Definitely a must-make-and-devour for me. Love your post and thanks for sharing.

  44. Great blog and a lovely photo, too. Congrats on top 9 and the Lightlife promo. Wahoo!You definitely deserve both!

  45. This is a beautiful story behind your soup, Tiffany. It makes your soup so special. Congrats again on Top 9! I think earlier today I thought it was your other post I commented on but just saw this on Foodbuzz. And you should be super excited about Lightlife! I’m looking forward to your recipes this summer.

  46. This looks so tasty! Congrats on hitting the top 9 today!! I’ve been waiting until my new website is “done” before signing up for Foodbuzz FP. How have you found it. Any recommendations?

  47. Beautiful soup and colours! Congrats on your Top 9 award! πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚

  48. Wow, so many gorgeous colors and bold flavors. The perfect summer dish!

  49. Another great recipe!Looks amazing!

  50. Your soup looks so delicious and refreshing πŸ™‚ love the color too!

  51. this looks so tasty and healthy! perfect for summer

  52. What a refreshing and lovely soup…fantastic for warm weather πŸ™‚ And congrats with the goodies from Lightlife, I am sure you will come up with some amazing goodies πŸ™‚

  53. Thanks everyone!!! You all rock the house!