Watermelon Gazpacho
By: Kasey Fleisher ...
Published: Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 6:42pm

Ingredients




1 small seedless watermelon, cut up into chunks
1 jalapeno pepper
3 stalks of green onion, sliced thinly
1 lime
1/4 cup of mint leaves
1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
sea salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

1 Put the watermelon chunks into a large bowl (you should use approximately 3 cups worth). Reserve a few chunks for garnish. 2 Zest the lime over the watermelon and squeeze the lime juice into the bowl. 3 Cut a few thin slices of the jalapeno pepper and set aside for garnish. Finely dice the rest of the jalapeno (make sure to remove the seeds) and add to the bowl. 4 Add in the green onions (reserve some for garnish), rice vinegar and mint leaves, stirring to combine. 5 Transfer the mixture into a blender, whipping until creamy and smooth. 6 Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste. 7 Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Garnish with watermelon chunks, jalapeno pepper slices, green onion and a few mint leaves.

About


I have been waiting patiently, very patiently, to tell you about this chilled watermelon soup that left me ooo'ing and ahh'ing. I know we started with dessert, but this (hopefully) will get you equally excited. Despite foggy, cold and quite frankly, icky, weather we've been having, I've been craving some serious summer produce. And nothing says summer like watermelon. I don't know about you, but I could eat a small watermelon all by myself. I will methodically eat every last bit or juicy red flesh.
I've always associated watermelon with dessert and picnics, so was quite intrigued to find a recipe for a chilled watermelon soup with a kick of jalapeno and lime. The combination seemed a bit odd, but I wasn't turned off. I envisioned the taste of a sweet tomato gazpacho--my favorite chilled soup--and thought to myself, "why not?"
This watermelon soup came together not unlike a fruit smoothie. Mix everything together and throw it all into a blender. Refrigerate. Boom. Done. It's the perfect starter to a fresh summery meal--preferably oriented around a fish main (and that crunchy/creamy/juicy dessert we featured on Monday). The best way that I could describe this soup is to say that it's very much like a bowl of more traditional tomato/cucumber gazpacho. The watermelon pairs perfectly with the spicy kick of the jalapeno and the tartness of the lime. The mint and green onion provide a refreshing finish and any additional garnishes are welcome is small or large amounts. The bottom line with this soup is that you just can't go wrong.

Comments:
Helen Pitlick

Can't wait for summer to come so I can try this!
Matt

This is a fantastic recipe!