You can tell it’s hot here because this is the second chilled soup I’ve posted in a row. Refreshing is the name of the game in my kitchen this week! The combination of red ripe tomato and crisp watermelon in my Watermelon Gazpacho is unexpected and wonderful. The flavor is nicely balanced between sweet and savory – and depending on what color tomato and what type of watermelon you use, the color falls somewhere on the spectrum of an appetizing shade of peachy pink. Serve it ice cold.
I found the yellow watermelon at the farmers market on Sunday. I won’t pull your leg, it tastes exactly the same as regular watermelon, but I’m always in favor of supporting genetic diversity in the food chain 😉 and colorful food is fun! If you haven’t come across any of the yellow variety, use a regular one. Seedless will be a little easier to work with, but frankly I find seedless watermelons to have less flavor.
The formula is easy, equal parts tomato to watermelon, so you can make this in any size batch you want. I kept mine very simple, with just a squeeze of lime and some salt, but this could easily be the base for a more traditional gazpacho with minced red onion, cukes, and peppers.
I like to serve it with cubes of frozen watermelon for texture and they help to keep it icy cold on a hot night. A little garnish of mint or basil is really all it needs.
Watermelon Gazpacho
Ingredients
garnish
- mint leaves
- cubes of frozen watermelon
Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes and rough chop. Add them to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade.
- Remove seeds from the watermelon and give it a rough chop. Add it to the processor. Pulse the machine on and off until the tomatoes and watermelon have been pureed. Scrape down the sides of the machine if needed.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl. Add the lime juice and salt to taste. Refrigerate until very cold.
- To serve, pour soup into small glasses and top with cubes of frozen watermelon and fresh mint leaves.
- To freeze watermelon, cut in small, regular cubes and set out on a parchment lined baking tray. Set the whole tray in the freezer and freeze until fruit is solid. Transfer the cubes to a zip top plastic storage bag after they have frozen for long term storage.
Nutrition
make it your own
- Spice it up by blending a rough chopped jalapeno in with the tomato and watermelon. Garnish with sliced jalapeno.
- Use colorful heirloom tomatoes.
- Add finely minced red onion, bell peppers, and cucumber for a more traditional gazpacho. Season with a dash of red vinegar and good fruity olive oil.
This is minimalist summer eating at its best. Low carb, gluten free, vegan, low calorie, and delicious!
For instructions on how to cut a watermelon in cubes, see this post.
I love the red and yellow watermelon together! Another refreshing and delicious idea for summer, Sue!
I just had some gazpacho last week…it truly is the perfect thing to have for lunch on a HOT summer day. I love the idea of a watermelon version, this sounds delicious and absolutely refreshing!
Yup, chilled soups and big salads are our typical meals at this time of the year. Love your watermelon gazpacho! And I have loads of watermelon on hand. Hmmm . . . 🙂 Thanks for this!
It’s hot here too, Sue (finally 🙂 and this looks so perfectly refreshing right now. Love it!
Isn’t that funny, but I always like to buy the not so ordinary variety, too? This gazpacho sounds wonderful, Sue and I bet it was so refreshing!
Wow, that yellow watermelon is so beautiful! We’re all about local and diverse fruits and veggies, and love seeing what’s fresh at the local farmers markets. What other produce do you like using for chilled soups and gazpachos?
A very delicious cold soup!
The forecast is triple digits for the next 5 days, so I need a vat of this gazpacho! 🙂
I love traditional gazpacho, but I also love watermelon. So it looks like I’ll have to give the one a try!
This is a lovely cold soup. We picked up an orange watermelon at the farm where I’ve been picking berries and corn. I love the color and it does taste very much like a regular watermelon. I never thought to try it with tomatoes – I am so curious and can’t wait to smell and taste this combination. So pretty! Frozen chunks of watermelon is brilliant!
Thanks Tricia – I’m not sure I’ve come across an orange watermelon, I’ll keep an eye out!