Watermelon Gazpacho
Watermelon pairs nicely with tomatoes and cucumbers to make this simple, refreshing watermelon gazpacho. Make use of the bounty of delicious summer produce for this cold soup.
Yield: 6 cups
Equipment
- blender
Materials
- 1 cup (50 g) stale bread
- 2 large (430 g) tomatoes, very ripe (about 1 pound)
- 2 cups (370 g) watermelon
- 1 cup (200 g) cucumber
- 1 (10 g) small shallot (or 2 tablespoons onion)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp pepper, freshly ground (or to taste)
- 1/2 cup fresh herbs, leaves only (basil, parley, mint, dill, etc)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for garnishing
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar (or any other vinegar or lime juice)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, tear the bread into chunks and add water to completely soak. Set aside.
- Prep vegetables. Chop about 1/2 cup each of tomato, watermelon and cucumber into a small dice and set aside for garnish. Roughly chop the rest and place in blender. Add the shallot and garlic. Squeeze the excess water from the bread and place in blender.
- Season with salt and pepper. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, about 1 minute. While the blender is running, slowly pour in the olive oil to emulsify. Add the sherry vinegar. Blend to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasonings, oil or vinegar as needed. Chill until completely cold, about 1-2 hours.
- Once chilled, taste for seasoning again (food tastes different cold than it does hot or at room temperature). Pour into bowls or cups. Garnish with the diced vegetables and herbs. Drizzle with good olive oil. Serve immediately.
Notes
Leftover soup keeps well in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Just shake or stir well before serving, as it separates.
Make sure you blend this long enough to incorporate some air for the best texture.