10636 Watermelon Gazpacho 45 mins 25 mins 8 servings (about 12 cups) Tue Jun 30 13:44:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 28 17:05:39 -0700 2009 Medium Cal-Med CHOW http://www.chow.com/recipes/10636 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:05:39 GMT A twist on the classic cold soup A twist on the classic cold soup, with watermelon in addition to tomatoes. Is this gazpacho authentic? Probably not, but watermelon, basil oil, and cayenne salt add a summery twist to the classic cold soup.

What to buy: Be sure not to use underripe tomatoes, as they will cause the soup to have a mealy consistency.

Special equipment: Use a blender or an immersion blender in this recipe for a good consistency.

This recipe was featured as part of our Cooling Off story.

]]> For the basil oil:
  1. Blend olive oil and basil leaves together until smooth. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let mixture steep for about 15 minutes before using.
For the gazpacho:
  1. Place bread in a bowl, add water to cover (about 1/2 cup), and let soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain bread and squeeze out excess liquid.
  2. Finely mince garlic, basil, cayenne, cumin, and salt to form a rough, sandy paste.
  3. Place tomatoes, watermelon, cucumber, onion, soaked bread, and garlic paste in a large bowl and toss to mix. Let stand for about 15 minutes.
  4. Working in 4 batches, place 1/4 of the vegetable mixture in a blender (or use a hand blender) and process until smooth, adding 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 2 tablespoons water to each batch. Transfer puréed soup to a large nonreactive bowl and repeat the blending process with remaining vegetable mixture. Whisk in vinegar and adjust seasoning to taste.
For the garnish:
  1. In a small bowl, mix cayenne pepper and salt until well combined. In a separate bowl, toss together watermelon and cucumber. To serve, top each bowl of gazpacho with 2 tablespoons of the watermelon and cucumber, sprinkle with cayenne salt, and drizzle with basil oil.

Beverage pairing: This dish pairs well with a crisp white wine such as a Sauvignon Blanc or a Spanish Albariño.

]]> http://www.chow.com/assets/2006/09/rcp_watermelongazpacho_290x105.jpg Aida Mollenkamp 49 Soup/Salad/Sandwich For the basil oil::

]]> 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

]]> 67 1 1/2 cups packed basil leaves

]]> For the gazpacho::

]]> 3 cups cubed day-old country bread, crust removed

]]> 74 3 medium garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

]]> 67 1/4 cup coarsely chopped basil leaves

]]> 277 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

]]> 283 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

]]> 301 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

]]> 109 3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)

]]> 49 4 1/2 cups coarsely chopped watermelon (about 1 1/2 pounds)

]]> 65 2 small Kirby cucumbers, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 2 2/3 cups)

]]> 54 1/4 cup coarsely chopped red onion

]]> 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

]]> 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

]]> For the garnish::

]]> 277 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

]]> 301 1 tablespoon kosher salt

]]> 49 1/2 cup minced watermelon

]]> 65 1/2 cup minced Kirby cucumber

]]> 836 adventurous 464 basil 1445 cooling off 384 easy 776 fun 465 garlic 388 healthy 753 lazy 281 no cook 746 outdoor 695 quick 641 refreshing 232 soup 644 summer 467 tomatoes 332 vegan 435 vegetarian 1 chow 2395 aida mollenkamp 1026 hot weather