Sweet Heat Watermelon Gazpacho is a chilled soup featuring a ton of summer flavors such as watermelon, cantaloupe, tomato, peach and fresh herbs like mint and basil.
I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but here it is hot, hot, HOT. We've had multiple days over 90 degrees with 80% or more humidity so going outside at all is a struggle. When it's so hot out, I feel like I never know what to cook for dinner. Despite the a/c running, it's almost too hot to turn on the oven or even cook something on the stove.
Which is why this chilled soup is the perfect choice for those insanely hot days. It requires no cooking at all and the only appliance you'll use is a blender or food processor.
WHAT IS GAZPACHO?
Gazpacho is a cold soup, made up of raw fruits and vegetables that are blended together. Originally the soup was made with stale bread, water, olive oil, vinegar and garlic, but in the 19th century, tomatoes began being added to the soup and the bread was left out. This version became wildly popular and is what most people think of today when they hear "gazpacho".
Gazpacho can be made with a variety of fruits and vegetables. The most common are tomatoes, watermelon, avocado, cucumbers and strawberries.
INGREDIENTS FOR SWEET HEAT WATERMELON GAZPACHO
- watermelon
- cantaloupe
- cucumber
- tomato
- peaches
- jalapeno
- olive oil
- fresh mint and basil
- salt, pepper, sugar and crushed red pepper
HOW TO MAKE GAZPACHO
Making gazpacho is super easy. You only need a knife, cutting board and blender or food processor. My blender is bigger than my food processor, so I chose to use that for this recipe. A food processor will result in a thicker, chunkier soup, while a blender (especially a high powered one) will make a more broth-like based consistency to the soup.
- Cube the watermelon and cantaloupe. Quarter the tomato and peaches.
- Thinly slice the cucumber. Finely dice the jalapeno.
- Transfer half of each ingredient to a blender, making sure to not overfill. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer the blended soup to a large bowl and repeat the with remaining half of ingredients.
- Pour the blended soup into the large bowl, and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
GAZPACHO SUBSTITUTIONS
Gazpacho is a pretty flexible soup. You can change up the ingredients based on what you have on hand. As it's summer and I recently picked up my CSA box, I have an abundance of peaches, tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe and cucumbers. My herb garden is also doing well so I decided that both basil and mint would be included. The jalapeno is totally optional. Spicy soups are right up my alley, but feel free to leave it out entirely.
- replace the cantaloupe with honeydew or use all watermelon in the soup
- skip the tomato, peaches or cucumber
- add lemon or lime juice to enhance the flavor
- Add in a bell pepper for more of a vegetable flavor
- Add more herbs or change them up - cilantro or parsley would be great choices
IMPROV COOKING CHALLENGE
The #ImprovCookingChallenge is a monthly blogging event where two ingredients are assigned to a month. Bloggers can make any recipe they like as long as it features the two ingredients. If you are a blogger and would like to join us, please visit our Facebook page. You can also read more about the event on our our home page. If you’d like to see previous creations, check out our Pinterest board.
The ingredients for July are watermelon and olive oil. Check out with the other bloggers have made!
- Watermelon Salad with Feta and Cucumber by Making Miracles
- Andalusian Watermelon Gazpacho by Pandemonium Noshery
- Summery Grilled Haloumi Salad by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Kalingana Saali Polo / Watermelon Rind Dosa by Sneha's Recipe
- Sweet Heat Watermelon Gazpacho by Cookaholic Wife
- Watermelon, Blueberry, and Mint Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Watermelon Chaat Salad By Palatable Pastime
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE FOR LATER? PIN IT TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD AND FOLLOW ME AT COOKAHOLICWIFE FOR MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES!
Recipe
Sweet Heat Watermelon Gazpacho
Ingredients
- 4 cups watermelon cubed
- 2 cups cantaloupe cubed
- 2 peaches peeled and quartered
- 1 large tomato quartered
- 1 English cucumber thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeno seeded and finely diced
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- ¼ cup fresh mint
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1-2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Add half of all the ingredients to a blender or food processor, making sure to not go over the fill line.
- Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl.
- Repeat with remaining ingredients.
- Stir both batches of soup together and taste, adjusting spices if needed.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- For a thicker soup, use a food processor. For a thinner soup, use a high powered blender.
- Gazpacho will keep for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
Juli
I love gazpacho, such a refreshing summer dish. I haven't ever tri d it spicy before which sounds intriguing.
Rebekah
This sounds so perfect for this warm weather - beautiful combination of fruits!
Wendy Klik
I'm sure the crushed red pepper adds a great layer of flavor in this flavorful soup.