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Watermelon Gazpacho
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Watermelon Gazpacho The Cold, Silky, No-Cook Summer Soup

The watermelon-tomato combination has a flavor logic that becomes immediately clear once you taste it
Prep Time15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Soup
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • For the Gazpacho:
  • 17.5 oz 500g seedless watermelon flesh, peeled and roughly chopped (approximately 3 cups cubed)
  • 10.5 oz 300g ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (2-3 medium vine tomatoes or 1 generous cup cherry tomatoes)
  • 1/2 red bell pepper seeds and membrane removed, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 sweet onion roughly chopped (Vidalia or any mild sweet onion)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil good quality
  • 1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar or to taste (Columela or La Bodega brands - substitute with red wine vinegar if unavailable)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • For Optional Toppings:
  • Small diced fresh watermelon cubes
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Finely diced red onion
  • Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Prepare All the Vegetables:
  • Peel watermelon and cut flesh into rough chunks, removing all rind completely
  • Roughly chop ripe tomatoes
  • Remove seeds and membrane from red bell pepper half and roughly chop
  • Roughly chop sweet onion quarter
  • No precise cutting needed - everything will be pureed smooth
  • Blend Until Smooth:
  • Place watermelon chunks, chopped tomatoes, red bell pepper, and sweet onion into high-powered blender
  • Add extra virgin olive oil, Sherry vinegar, generous pinch of salt, and few grinds of black pepper
  • Blend on high speed for full 60-90 seconds until completely smooth
  • Blend thoroughly to emulsify olive oil into soup
  • Strain for Smoother Texture:
  • Pour blended soup through fine-mesh sieve or strainer into large bowl or pitcher
  • Use back of spoon or rubber spatula to press mixture through strainer
  • Extract as much liquid as possible, leaving fibrous solids behind
  • This straining creates characteristic silky, smooth texture
  • Skip or reduce straining if you prefer slightly more textured gazpacho
  • Taste and Adjust Seasoning:
  • Before refrigerating, taste strained gazpacho
  • Add more salt to bring out sweetness of watermelon and savory depth of tomato
  • Add more Sherry vinegar for additional brightness and acidity (should be noticeable but not sharp)
  • Add small additional drizzle of olive oil if soup tastes flat
  • Refrigerate:
  • Cover bowl or pitcher tightly with plastic wrap or lid
  • Refrigerate for minimum of 1 hour
  • Chilling serves two functions: properly cold temperature and allows flavors to meld
  • Soup tastes better at 1-hour mark than immediately after blending
  • Even better after 2-3 hours or overnight
  • Serve with Optional Toppings:
  • Pour chilled gazpacho into bowls or glasses
  • If using toppings, add small mound of finely diced fresh watermelon cubes in center of each bowl
  • Scatter few fresh basil leaves over top
  • Add small amount of finely diced red onion for color and sharp bite
  • Finish with drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil over each serving
  • Serve immediately while properly cold
  • Critical Tips:
  • Use ripest, sweetest watermelon and most flavorful tomatoes available (quality is entire flavor foundation)
  • Blend for full 60-90 seconds for proper emulsification
  • Don't skip straining step for truly silky texture
  • Taste and adjust seasoning before refrigerating (cold mutes flavors slightly)
  • Refrigerate for full hour minimum
  • Add optional toppings only immediately before serving
  • Serving Suggestions: Serve in wide, shallow bowls for elegant presentation. For parties, serve in small shot glasses or cups as amuse-bouche. For summer lunch, serve with crusty sourdough bread and arugula salad. Can also be served in small glass pitcher for brunch or frozen in popsicle molds for nutritious frozen treat.