Nuevo Latino Watermelon Gazpacho
By: Alyce Mantia
Published: Tuesday, August 10, 2010 - 12:08pm

Ingredients




8 cups diced, seeded watermelon (from half a large melon)
1/2 cup almond meal*
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 slices firm white bread, torn into chunks
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup cilantro, for garnish
Lime wedges, for garnish

Preparation

1 Reserve one cup of the diced watermelon. Purée remaining melon with almond flour, garlic and bread. Blend until smooth. 2 Add vinegar, lime juice, salt and a couple of grindings of pepper. With the processor on, add the olive oil in a thin stream, blending until smooth. You may have to do this in two batches. 3 Pour into a glass or ceramic bowl and stir in reserved melon dice. Chill well. 4 Serve in wine or martini glasses rimmed with salt (add a little chili powder to the salt if you like). Sprinkle with the cilantro and garnish each serving with a lime wedge. Serves 6-8 as a first course soup.

About


 Lordie, isn’t it hot? And there’s nothing better on a hot summer evening than dinner with a cool salad main course. But it can be tough, if you’re entertaining, to come up with an appropriate first course when salad is the dinner. Personally, I love a cold soup in the summer. For some it takes a bit of getting used to; I have friends who think the only good soup is a hot soup! But I think if you try it, you’ll agree that it’s a refreshing and delicious first course.
It takes no cooking and can be prepared in a jiffy with the aid of a food processor or blender. Whip it up in the morning, or even the night before, so it can chill well. Or just keep it in the fridge for a quick refreshing pick-me-up when you come in from the heat!