How to make Watermelon Gazpacho? (Refreshing, Cool and Savory)

• Food: Watermelon Gazpacho
• Writer: Nicolas Wilson
• Content-Type: Food Blog

On sweltering summer days, this watermelon gazpacho dish is SO cooling! This chilly, spicy soup is well balanced by the watermelon’s subdued sweetness.

The ideal summertime dish is this watermelon gazpacho recipe. I’ve moved from hot Austin to hot New York to hot Chicago over the past few weeks.

I’m preparing this recipe as much as I can now that I’m in the west suburbs of Chicago visiting my parents. Since watermelon is the most hydrating and reviving fruit I can think of, this chilled soup is perfect.

Try it right now if it’s warm where you are!

Also, be aware that this recipe yields a large quantity of watermelon gazpacho. I prefer to keep it in the fridge for fast lunches throughout the week since it gets better as it chills.

Making Watermelon Gazpacho: A Recipe

The concept of watermelon gazpacho has always seemed strange to me, but when everything is combined, the soup doesn’t taste like watermelon.

It is tangy and delicious because of the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, scallions, and herbs. The watermelon effectively counteracts these flavors without making the soup too sweet. The finished meal is rich, acidic, and complex; it is not at all overly sweet.

If you don’t like spicy food, you can omit the jalapeno from the recipe that I add for more spice.

To make this dish, put half the tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, green onion, and all of the cubed watermelons in a blender. The leftover vegetables should be finely diced and set aside.

The extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and jalapeno, if used, should all be added to the mixer. Until the soup is entirely smooth, puree it.

After that, pour it into a sizable bowl or individual jars and add the saved vegetables. To enable the flavors to meld, chill for at least 3 hours or overnight. Enjoy!

Serving ideas for watermelon gazpacho

Add garnishes to the chilled soup when you’re ready to eat. Extra chopped vegetables, avocado, and microgreens are my favorite additions.

It would also be excellent with a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, chopped parsley or basil, or a scattering of hemp seeds.

Use nice crusty bread to eat the watermelon gazpacho on its own or combine it with a salad or sandwich to make a filling meal. Any of the following recipes would be wonderful with it:

• Sandwich with Caprese
• Avocado Toast
• Chickpea Salad Sandwich
• Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad
• Simple Pasta

I frequently serve this soup with labneh, hummus, tzatziki, or baba ganoush, and homemade pita for dipping if I’m not in the mood for a sandwich or a salad.

Gazpacho with watermelon

On sweltering summer days, this watermelon gazpacho is incredibly cooling. The leftovers from this dish can be kept in the refrigerator for simple weekday lunches since it yields a large quantity.

Ingredients

• 4 heaping cups of cubed seedless watermelon
• 1 English cucumber, diced, reserve half
• 3 medium tomatoes, diced, reserve half
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced, reserve half
• ⅓ cup chopped green onions, diced, reserve half
• 1 garlic clove
• small handful basil
• 3 to 4 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ jalapeño pepper, optional
• diced avocado, optional
• micro greens, optional for garnish

Instructions

1. Half of the diced cucumber, tomatoes, red pepper, and green onions should be set aside; the other half should go in a blender. Add the watermelon, basil, garlic, vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, and, if using, jalapenos. Until smooth, blend. Adjust seasonings based on taste.
2. Pour into a sizable bowl (or tiny individual jars, as seen in the picture), then mix with the saved chopped vegetables.
3. Overnight or for three to four hours, chill.
4. Before serving, drizzle with olive oil and, if desired, sprinkle with diced avocado and/or microgreens.