Watermelon Gazpacho
Cold soup sounds wrong until you try it on a day when the thermometer reads 35°C (95°F) and you'd rather stand in front of the open refrigerator than turn on the stove. This gazpacho is sweet, savory, and refreshing — watermelon gives it body while cucumber and lime keep it firmly on the savory side
Time: 15 minutes plus 1 hour chilling · Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- ●4 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
- ●1 English cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
- ●1 medium ripe tomato, roughly chopped
- ●½ small red onion, roughly chopped
- ●1 jalapeño, seeded (or leave seeds for heat)
- ●2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ●2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ●1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ●½ teaspoon salt
- ●Fresh mint or basil, for garnish
- ●Crumbled feta cheese, for garnish (optional)
- ●Diced cucumber, for garnish
Method
- Combine the watermelon, cucumber, tomato, red onion, and jalapeño in a blender.
- Add the lime juice, olive oil, vinegar, and salt.
- Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust — more lime for brightness, more salt to bring out the watermelon's sweetness, a little more vinegar if it tastes flat.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Cold is essential here.
- Serve in chilled bowls. Garnish with diced cucumber, torn mint or basil, crumbled feta if using, and a drizzle of olive oil.
- *Storage:** Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Stir before serving, as it may separate.
- *Seasonal note:** This works best with a dense, very sweet watermelon. Knock on it at the market — a ripe one sounds hollow. The yellow patch on the bottom (the field spot) should be creamy yellow, not white. A heavy watermelon relative to its size means more water and more flavor.
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