Watermelon Gazpacho
This Watermelon Gazpacho It’s everything you want in a soup in the middle of summer. It’s made in a blender instead of on the stovetop, filled with the best summer produce, and served cold—because There is no one. He wants hot soup in July!
Watermelon makes gazpacho even more refreshing!
This is the time of year that I am always on the lookout for. No cook dinner options. Salads and sandwiches are often on the menu. Soups? Not so much.
Unless it’s gazpacho! And this Watermelon gazpacho It’s my favorite.
One thing to remember about gazpacho, especially if you’re a gazpacho skeptic, is that “soup” is the wrong way to think of it. It’s not like taking your leftovers. Tomato soup Take it out of the fridge and grab a spoon.
Instead, gazpacho is like a perfect mixture of soup and salad! And the addition of watermelon makes it even more refreshing; It softens the acidity of the tomatoes, adds sweetness, and gives the soup a light body, making it perfect for those dog days of summer.
Ingredients and substitutes
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to note.
- Watermelon. Choose a ripe, sweet seedless watermelon. (Don’t worry if you happen to have a seeded watermelon on hand – it will lengthen the prep time a bit because you’ll have to remove the seeds.)
- English cucumber. English pumpkins have thin skins and very few seeds, making them ideal for gazpacho.
- Tomato. If the tomato itself doesn’t taste good, the sauce won’t either. This recipe is for when the tomatoes are at their peak.
- Red bell pepper. Bulgarian pepper adds sweetness and body.
- Red onion and white garlic. It is enough to provide depth and depth. Cutting before mixing helps to incorporate more smoothly.
- Fresh basil or mint. The basil adds a sweeter and classic Mediterranean slant, while the mint makes the soup especially cooling and refreshing.
- Extra-virgin olive oil. A good olive oil gives gazpacho a silky mouthfeel and helps to marinate the vegetables.
- Sherry vinegar. Sherry vinegar is traditional and my first choice. At one point during the testing process, I ran out of sherry vinegar so I used red wine vinegar and that turned out great too.
- Kosher salt and pepper. If you’re using table salt instead of kosher salt, you’ll want to add just a touch.
- Solved. Optional, but I love the salty, crisp contrast with the sweet soup!
Step by step instructions
Reserve the jewelry (Photo 1) Before you start mixing, finely chop some watermelon and cucumber and use them as garnish.
Prepare the vegetables. Cut the remaining watermelon, cucumber, tomato, and bell pepper into roughly 1-inch pieces. Divide each vegetable between the blender and a large bowl.
Combine the base (Photo 2) Add the vegetables, onion and garlic, herbs, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to the blender. Blend on high until they are completely smooth without showing any garlic or herbs.
Add texture (Photo 3) Add the preserved vegetables to the container. Just hit it a few times.
Cool down (Photo 4) Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The soup should be well chilled before serving. (If you have time, make it a day ahead. It tastes even better!)
Taste one more time. Taste the gazpacho before serving, adding more salt or vinegar as needed. Divide into plates and enjoy!
Erin’s test notes
The first time I made this recipe, I mixed everything together at once and felt that the gazpacho lacked some texture. Next time, I left it smaller, but it was still more watery than I wanted.
The winning version combines half of the vegetables to create a creamy base, then the second half is dispersed until crumbly. This approach enhances gazpacho without adding bread.
What to serve with Watermelon Gazpacho
- Bread. Gazpacho is a perfect light lunch or dinner with a grilled baguette or No Knead Focaccia.
- Protein. Like fried protein Fried shrimp Or Fried chicken breast It will be especially good!
- Salad. Pair the watermelon gazpacho with a light salad Spinach salad.
Watermelon Gazpacho
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Elements
- 4 Cups Sliced seedless watermelon About 1½ lbs
- 1 a bit English hothouse cucumber (about ½ pound)
- 1½ Pounds Ripe tomato to 3 large or 6 small
- 1 Medium Red bell pepper
- ¼ Cup Roughly chopped red onion
- 1 a bit White garlic cloves It is cut very roughly
- ¼ Cup Fresh basil or mint leaves More for decoration
- ¼ Cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 A spoonful of soup sherry vinegar Or red wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 Tea spoon Kosher salt More to taste
- ¼ Tea spoon Ground black pepper
- crumbled feta Optional, for decoration
Instructions
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Place the decoration: Prepare a big plate and a small plate. Finely chop half a cup of water and put it in a small bowl for decoration. Add half of the remaining watermelon to a large bowl and half to the skillet.
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Prepare the pumpkin: Cut a quarter of the pumpkin, finely chop it and add it to a small bowl with the water. Cut the rest into 1-inch pieces, add half to the blender and half to a large bowl.
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Prepare the tomatoes: Peel the tomatoes and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Add half to the blender and half to a large bowl.
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Prepare bell pepper: Cut the bell pepper into 1-inch pieces. Add half to the blender and half to a large bowl.
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Combine the base: In the blender, add onion, garlic, basil or mint, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Start on low speed and increase to high and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes.
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Add texture: Add watermelon, cucumber, tomato and bell pepper to a large bowl. Pulse a few times to break them into small pieces, leaving some texture.
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Cool the soup: Cover the soup and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until very cold, giving it time to develop the flavor. Add a little salt to the preserved vegetables and store in the refrigerator with the soup.
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Decorate and serve: Taste the cooled soup and adjust it with more salt or vinegar as needed, watermelon varies in sweetness. Pour into bowls and top with the reserved melon and pumpkin, feta (if using) and a few small basil or mint leaves. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Video
Notes
- The taste of gazpacho changes as it sits. Taste immediately before serving and adjust the salt and vinegar so it’s not bright, but flat.
- This recipe is written for Morton Kosher Salt. If using Diamond Crystal, which is slightly less salty in tone, start with a small amount and add to taste.
- This soup is even better in advance. Make it 1 day ahead and cover it in the refrigerator; The flavor settles when it sits.
- For a full-bodied, more traditional texture, blend in a 1½-ounce piece of day-old bagel in Step 5.
- To store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To work ahead: This is one of those unusual recipes that improves over time. Prepare up to 1 day in advance and refrigerate well before serving.
