Watermelon Gazpacho
Refreshing and quick to make, with a surprising addition of watermelon
Enticed by the various heirloom tomato varieties available at the market, I may have gone a little overboard on my weekend shopping haul. However, I regret nothing. Summer is, after all, the one time to enjoy fruit and vegetables galore, processed as little as possible, thrown into the most delicious salads and light meals. A bounty of tomatoes can only mean bruschetta, caprese, tomato sandwiches, tomato galettes and naturally, gazpacho.
This time though, upon finding half a mini watermelon in my fridge that had seen better days, I decided to improvise. After all, watermelons and cucumbers are both from the same plant family, cucurbitaceae, and I figured, what could go wrong?
It turns out, not much and this proved to be absolutely delicious. It's perfect for a hot summer day when nobody can be persuaded to turn on the stove. What's more, it keeps well in the fridge for a few days so you can make a big batch to last you through the week.
Let me know if you make it and I hope you'll enjoy the watermelon variation as much as I did!
Ingredients (makes 6 generous servings)
700g ripe tomatoes (the riper, the better, use those squishy tomatoes at the bottom of the bowl) cored and quartered
400g watermelon cubed and deseeded
1-2 persian cucumbers, roughly chopped
1 medium red onion, quartered
2 garlic cloves
70ml extra virgin olive oil
1 red pepper, cored and deseeded, roughly chopped
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1tsp salt (adjust to taste)
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tbsp vodka (this is completely optional but I find it brightens the tomato flavour)
The method couldn't be easier: put all the watermelon and the vegetables in a large blender. Pulse at first until finely chopped, add the salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, vodka. The trick to getting a velvety smooth gazpacho is to now blend it on the highest setting for 3 minutes. This will emulsify the olive oil and you will get a silky smooth soup.
Ideally you should chill the gazpacho in the refrigerator for a few hours, let the flavours really marry.
Once ready to serve pour in bowls (in Spain you would serve this in small, very cold shot glasses) and drizzle with a little olive oil. Garnish with basil and dig in!
Let me know if you make it and subscribe for more mouthwatering summer recipes!
