SPICY SHRIMP & MELON SOUP

I am a passionate soup eater, so I'm always a little saddened when summer rolls around & soups are thrown off the menu. I've been on a quest to create a light, but flavorful, soup to enjoy in the hot summer months. This soup was created with love, experimentation, and a little "Robot Chef" inspiration. It is simple, light, & refreshing so give it a sip this summer!

BRAIN STORMING...so I've had this summer soup quest in my heart for some time but have never really acted on it. When the "Robot Chef" challenge popped up my mind kept wandering back to my love of soups so I decided to merge the two into one tasty dish. 

My first thought was summer = melon. That is one of the main foods consumed in the summer because of it's cool, fresh flavors. My mind began wandering down the melon avenue & ingredients that go well with it. The obvious choice would be mint but I'm not a huge fan of mint (reminds me of toothpaste), so I detoured into the cilantro realm, which led me straight to salsa. BINGO! Melon salsa with a soupy twist. The salsa would hit all the key elements for the Robot Chef, paired with a light broth for my soup quest. 

Now for trial & error experimentation ... (When my husband asked, "what's for dinner," I informed him it would be experimental, so he replied, "I guess I'm eating WENDY'S tonight." LOL! Apparently I have more errors then I thought.)

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbs Extra Spicy guacamole mix (you can add more if you like a little more "heat")
Chicken Broth about 4 cups
2 Tbs Fresh cilantro
2 Tsp minced garlic = 4 cloves
2 Fresh limes
1 cup fully cooked shrimp (thawed & rinsed)
1 large cucumber peeled/seeded & diced
1 Avacado diced
2 cups diced cantalope
1 cup diced red onion ( I think green onions added fresh, on top of the soup would also work great) 


NOTE: If you are wondering why shrimp, & guac mix, well it's what I had on hand so I said, "what the hell." Like I said, it was experimental. It how ever turned out to be FANTASTICALLY DELICIOUS, so I wouldn't change a thing!

I cooked my broth first by pouring the chicken broth, guac mix, garlic, and onion into a stock pot & bringing it to a boil. Once it's boiling add your shrimp & let it continue to boil for about 3 minutes. 

Meanwhile, in a bowl toss together all your diced, cucumber, melon, avacado, & cilantro, creating a "melon salsa" of sorts. Quarter one of your limes and squeeze the juice over the salsa mixture to prevent browning & provide a pinch of tartness. 

Return to your broth & remove it from the heat. You can either let it cool completely (gazpacho style) or let it remain a little warm. I'm not a gazpacho person, so I served mine slightly warm. Once your broth has cooled to your liking you can serve it.

To serve, spoon your salsa into a bowl & ladle the broth over the top. (I kept the two separate until serving, because I didn't want to cook my salsa in the warm broth) Slice up your second lime and garnish each bowl with a slice, or more if you prefer. (I like a lot of lime in mine)

ENJOY YOUR SOUP IN THE SUMMER SUN!