Watermelon Gazpacho is a light and refreshing chilled soup made with sweet summer watermelon, savory tomato and cucumber, and fresh mint. Perfect as a light lunch or healthy snack, stay cool and enjoy this easy Watermelon Gazpacho Recipe topped with diced watermelon, creamy avocado, and fresh micro greens.
Watermelon Gazpacho
This has been a year all about the watermelon and what better way to celebrate this sweet summery fruit than with a light and refreshing watermelon gazpacho?
Hint – there is no better way.
Gazpacho and watermelon are basically synonymous with summertime. Best served on sizzling, sunny days when it’s too hot to turn on the oven or fire up the stove, few things few better than cranking up a fan and cooling off with a big cup of chilled veggie-filled soup.
Because, you know, that’s what gazpacho is – chilled vegetable soup.
And it is delicious.
Anyway, you can read all about traditional gazpacho over in this post. Today, I’m sharing this sweetened up version (don’t worry, not too much sweet where it tastes fake or overpowering). A happy balance between savory and sweet, watermelon gazpacho is everything you never knew you wanted from summer.
Watermelon Gazpacho Ingredients
You will find the following ingredients in this refreshing watermelon gazpacho recipe,
- White bread – your best bet is to use your favorite leftover crusty white bread with the crust removed. White bread is one of the original ingredients in gazpacho and works as a natural thickener (just be sure to remove any crusts).
- Watermelon – sweet, juicy, seedless summer watermelon makes the perfect contrast to the savory and earthy cucumber, bell pepper, and onion.
- English cucumber – made almost entirely from water, cucumbers are incredibly refreshing. You may peel or leave the skin on- completely up to you. In this recipe, I used an English cucumber, but any cucumber will work just as well.
- Tomatoes – you will likely find most gazpachos in Spain made using Roma or tomatoes-on-the-vine, but any ripe, fresh, and juicy tomato will work when making this recipe. Learn how to peel tomatoes in my traditional gazpacho recipe.
- Bell pepper – I added green bell pepper. Be warned, the addition of green bell pepper and cucumber will result in a less vibrantly red gazpacho (that’s ok). If you’re concerned, you may add red bell pepper instead.
- Red onion – red onion is somewhat sweeter and spicier, but feel free to add a yellow or white onion if that’s all you have. Peeled first, of course.
- Garlic – You only want to add 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic at the very most. Garlic can easily overpower the freshness of the watermelon and veggies.
- Fresh mint – I added some fresh mint from my garden, but basil would also work just as well. DO NOT ADD DRIED HERBS.
- Vinegar – sherry vinegar is the traditional vinegar used to make gazpacho. If you can’t get your hands on this vinegar, red wine vinegar is the next best option. Please do not try to substitute with distilled white vinegar as it is far too harsh.
- Olive oil – This watermelon gazpacho recipe calls for 4 tablespoons of good quality olive oil. You may add more (as many gazpacho recipes do) or less, it’s entirely up to you. Simply keep in mind that a bad-tasting olive oil can easily destroy the flavor if you add too much.
How to pick a ripe watermelon
There is nothing more disappointing than taking a bite of a dull, bland, slimy watermelon. To help avoid this, here are a few simple things to look for when shopping for your next watermelon.
- Your watermelon should feel heavy for its size – no matter its size.
- Look for the yellow spot where the watermelon was resting on the ground. It should be a creamy, yellowish color and found on only one side of the watermelon.
- Look for sugar spots and pollination points – this is actually the biggest indication of ripe watermelon and best when shown with an image (I’ll update soon). Sugar spots are areas on a watermelon where sugar has seeped through. It may not have been much, so perhaps it has solidified, but if your watermelon is oozing something sticky, that’s because it’s bursting with natural sugars! Pollination points are usually found in the same area as sugar spots. They’re brownish rough patches with tiny little dark brownish/black dots in rows. These ugly looking patches on watermelon are actually good things!
- Tap your watermelon. Does it sound hollow? Good.
When in doubt, pick the ugliest looking watermelon (following the guidelines above).
How to make Watermelon Gazpacho
Make this refreshing watermelon gazpacho in 4 easy steps! A blender or food processor is required.
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Prepare the bread. Place the bread under running water just until it’s absorbed water. Gently ring out the bread (yep, it’s possible), getting out as much water as possible.
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Blend everything together. Transfer all ingredients, including the bread, to the bowl of a large blender or food processor. Process until desired consistency is reached. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
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Chill. Chill for 30 minutes, time allowing.
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Serve. Or, serve immediately garnished with your favorite toppings such as diced watermelon, avocado, cucumber, red onion, and micro greens.
Watermelon Gazpacho Variations
There are loads of different ways to make this watermelon gazpacho recipe unique and completely your own. Similar to how you would dump and all veggies or spices into a pot of boil soup, the same can be applied to gazpacho (within reason, of course). So have fun and see what you can come up with!
- Veggies – Cooked beets would be my top choice as either a garnish or blended in the soup. Beets are naturally sweet and so good for you! Other ideas include celery and zucchini.
- Corn – Sweet corn would taste incredible with this gazpacho!
- Fruit – You’ll notice in my other gazpacho recipe that I added a handful of fresh strawberries for sweetness and color. Strawberries would also taste great here. Ripe cantaloupe or even peaches would also give great flavor.
- Spice it up – I left this version very mild, but feel free to add a chile pepper or two (if you’re feeling brave)! Top recommendations would include jalapeñ0 or serrano.
And what about toppings?
My favorite Watermelon Gazpacho toppings include,
- Leftover chopped vegetables. This is most common and a great way to use up any leftover vegetable scraps. I’m particularly fond of adding extra watermelon and celery.
- Acovado. Because…avocado.
- Corn. I didn’t have any corn at the time of shooting this batch otherwise it would be all over this watermelon gazpacho.
- Homemade Croutons. Ok, so they don’t have to be homemade. Store-bought will work also. However, make sure they’re not overly seasoned otherwise that’s all you’ll taste.
Love this Watermelon Gazpacho Recipe? Check out,
- Best Sangria Recipe; How to Make Sangria
- Cucumber Salad Recipe
- Balsamic Tomato Basil Salad
- Shrimp Ceviche Recipe (How to Make Shrimp Ceviche)
- Mango, Watermelon and Corn Salad
If you try this Watermelon Gazpacho Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
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Watermelon Gazpacho Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 slice white bread - crust removed
- 6 cups sweet seedless watermelon - cubed
- ½ English cucumber - roughly chopped
- 3 Roma tomatoes -
cored, seeded and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper - seeded and chopped
- ½ small red onion - chopped
- 1 clove garlic - peeled and minced
- ¼ cup fresh mint - or basil
- 3 tablespoon sherry vinegar - or red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup good-quality olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt - plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Diced watermelon, cucumber, avocado, and bell pepper - to garnish
- Microgreens - to garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the bread. Place the bread under running water just until it's absorbed water. Gently ring out the bread (yep, it's possible), getting out as much water as possible.
- Blend everything together. Transfer all ingredients, including the bread, to the bowl of a large blender or food processor. Process until desired consistency is reached. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
- Chill. Chill for 30 minutes, time allowing.
- Serve. Or, serve immediately garnished with your favorite toppings such as diced watermelon, avocado, cucumber, red onion, and micro greens.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
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