This sublime Watermelon Gazpacho is a warm-weather soup built for heatwaves.
POV: It’s the dead of the summer, the outside temp is rounding the corner of triple digits, and you’re a soup person. A club to which I proudly belong myself. And while I’ve enjoyed plenty of steaming bowls of mulligatawny in the middle of July, I’ve got to say there is nothing, and I mean nothing, like a serving of this chilled gazpacho to cool the sweat from the brow.
For this recipe, you’ll blend fresh tomatoes, watermelon, cucumber, and aromatics with a bit of crustless white bread and whip up the best summertime soup you’ll ever eat. Does watermelon belong in soup? All signs point to yes. Gazpacho was born in the sticky heat of southern Spain, where it’s said Andalusian laborers relied on a combination of stale bread, olive oil, garlic, and vinegar to fill their bellies during long days. Traditionally made ahead and nicely chilled, gazpacho is served when the sun is at its zenith—often poured from a pitcher, meant to be shared, and eaten without hurry.
Before you discard the slightly stale bread, consider this
Long before gazpacho was a summertime star, bread was already doing the heavy lifting in numerous soups and stews around the world. In times and places where wasting food wasn’t an option, stale bread was soaked, simmered, or blended in to thicken broths and stretch a meal—think Bavarian Brotsuppe, Tuscan ribollita, and Portuguese açorda. In gazpacho, bread softens acidity, emulsifies olive oil and vinegar, and gives the soup a subtle creaminess without any cream, even when the flavors skew bright and modern, like watermelon. The bread might fade into the background, but without it, the soup simply wouldn’t feel complete.
How do I store leftovers?
Store your leftover watermelon gazpacho in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Make sure to stir well before serving, as separation is natural and expected. For more extended storage, keep your watermelon gazpacho in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Serving suggestions
Realistically, there are so many refreshing routes one can take here. You can opt for this seriously wonderful Roast Chicken and Vegetable Salad, or this impressive Grilled Romaine Salad. I’m a big fan of serving it with Baked Shrimp as the protein dish, or this simple and delicious Boiled Shrimp with a generous squeeze of lemon. Alternatively, you can always lean into summery favorites and make these excellent Focaccia Sandwiches. And finally, I always like to cut up some fresh avocado and plate it for anyone who, like me, feels it complements this hot-weather meal just beautifully. Don’t forget the salt.
Watermelon Gazpacho
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds cubed fresh watermelon
- 3 large tomatoes halved and cored
- 8 ounces cucumber peeled and seeded
- 1 medium red bell pepper cored and roughly chopped
- 1/2 small red onion peeled and quartered
- 3 small garlic cloves peeled
- 1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves plus more for garnish
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 thick slice of white bread crusts removed and soaked
Instructions
- Place the watermelon, tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, garlic, mint, olive oil, sherry vinegar, lime juice, salt, black pepper, cumin, and soaked bread in a blender. Blend until mostly smooth while leaving a little texture.
- Taste the soup and adjust seasoning by adding more salt, pepper, or sherry vinegar if needed.
- Transfer the blended soup to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve cold with a garnish of fresh mint if desired.
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