Melon soup is a soup prepared with melon as a primary ingredient. Melons such as bitter melon, cantaloupe, crenshaw melon, honeydew and winter melon may be used, among others. Some melon soups are prepared with whole pieces of melon, and others use puréed melon. Some are served hot, while others are served chilled. Some cold varieties are prepared without any cooking involved. Several styles and varieties of melon soups exist, including bitter melon soup, cantaloupe soup and winter melon soup, among others. The origin of some melon soup recipes may cross international boundaries.

Benincasa hispida, the wax gourd, also called ash gourd, white gourd, winter gourd, winter melon, tallow gourd, ash pumpkin, Chinese preserving melon, is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable when mature. It is the only member of the genus Benincasa.