Watermelon Gazpacho Recipe
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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.
INGREDIENTS
For the basil oil:
- 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the gazpacho:
- 1 1/2 pounds coarsely chopped cored tomatoes
- 1 1/2 pounds coarsely chopped seedless watermelon
- 3 cups large-dice crustless day-old country bread, such as pain au levain
- 2 medium Kirby cucumbers, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
- 3 medium garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the garnish:
- 1/2 cup small-dice Kirby cucumber (about 1 medium)
- 1/2 cup small-dice seedless watermelon
INSTRUCTIONS
For the basil oil:
- Process the basil and olive oil in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
For the gazpacho:
- Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Let stand for 15 minutes.
- Working in batches, process the mixture in a clean blender until smooth. Transfer the puréed soup to a large, nonreactive bowl. Taste and season with salt as needed.
For the garnish:
- Combine the cucumber and watermelon in a small bowl.
- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, top with the cucumber and watermelon mixture, and drizzle with the basil oil.
Beverage pairing: This dish pairs well with a crisp white wine such as a Sauvignon Blanc or a Spanish Albariño.
Made it this weekend - incredible. Such a nice spicy bite to the watermelon and yet, so light and fresh. Perfect for the summer! :)
AN INCREDIBLE DELICIOUS COLD SOUP AND A LONG AWAITED VARIATION TO THE REGULAR GAZPACHO'S.
I am going to make this today and blow my family away. what a wonderful idea to add the watermelon. Try out my favorite recipe at www.foodista.com
Ok...serious questions about this recipe.
I love gazpacho and I love watermelon...sounds great!
We had a 4th of july BBQ...perfect pot luck contribution!
First....It says 8 servings, I needed about 25 so I doubled it. Now I have enough soup for 50. I will scale and make my comments based on 1 recipe, however.
Portions for individual items????? It was hard to tell from this recipe and I wound up buying too much of some stuff, not enough of others
1 recipe yields about 2 cups of th basil oil...then I find out it's just used as a garnish?? I used a whole bunch of basil.....Way too much....
3 cups bread + 1 loaf
1/4 c chopped basil + 1/2 bunch
4 1/2 cups of watermelon + approx. 1/4 average sized melon
2 regular sized cucumbers yields 2 2/3 c. not 2 small
1/4 cup chopped onion + 1/4 - 1/2 average onion
When blending the batches, there is so much moisture already, does adding 2 T water really do anything? And it is not clear whether you are adding the basil oil or plain olive oil...I did a little of both.
Soup came out refreshing and tastey but needed a bit of tweeking or "season to taste." Now I have to find many recipes for basil olive oil.
I'm confused. The introduction says "can it really be gazpacho without the tomatoes" and yet the recipe clearly calls for tomatoes -- a pound and a half of them.