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Spicy Watermelon Gazpacho
Have on hand
2 cups chopped watermelon, seeds discarded
1 small hot-house cucumber, peeled, seeds scraped out with a spoon, chopped, 1/3 cup
1 small red or yellow pepper, seeds discarded, diced, 1 cup
1 medium ripe tomato, core discarded, quartered
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno, or to taste
15 medium sized mint leaves, plus more for garnish
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Directions:
If you’re feelin’ lucky, add all ingredients to a blender (its gonna’ be full), or, do the sensible thing and divide the ingredients in half, blend separately, then combine. Note: begin with the slowest speed, then blend until the desired consistency is achieved. For me, I find that after blending for about a minute, it’s perfect. Enjoy your gazpacho on the chunky side? Blend less. Adjust the seasoning, and serve, with a fresh mint leaf. Perfect for a hot summer day!
Yields approximately 4 cups
About Nathan Lyon
Chef Nathan Lyon is known for his simple, innovative cuisine featuring fresh, seasonal and local ingredients. You can find him on Growing A Greener World as well as shows on Veria Living, Discovery Health, Fit TV and TLC.
His first cookbook, Great Food Starts Fresh, is a seasonal exploration with recipes for the five seasons: spring, summer, autumn, winter and...chocolate!
Shirley! Mark! Oh, hello Joe! I’m so glad that you both enjoyed my recipe. I really love eating watermelon. I also love tomatoes. So I thought, “Why not enjoy them together?” Funny story. Back in high-school my best friend Jason and I used to split an entire watermelon in half, then devour it with our spoons until we all but popped. A few years ago I toyed with mixing a number of my favorite summer flavors together, then made it really easy for myself by using a blender! Enter my spicy watermelon gazpacho. Enjoy!
Thanks for this recipe. Perfect timing! I was just looking for a gazpacho recipe and came upon it on the site, so its the recipe I used. It was great! I added a bit more spice, but other than that, it was a delicious and refreshing soup. The temps are just under 110 now, so it was a refreshing appetizer to the meal. Looking forward to more great ideas. Love the site.
Wow Mark. I’d say 110 degrees qualifies for ideal temps to enjoy Nathan’s gazpacho recipe. Glad you liked it. Please keep us posted on any other recipes you make from our listings.
Stay cool.
I can taste the ingredients together but I’m going to go the extra mile and make this recipe! It’s 100 degrees here today and your gazpacho sounds very inviting.
Nathan, you do an excellent job and you never fail to make me smile. As a matter of fact, your smile makes me smile! Great energy, talent and your recipes are very yummy!
Keep up the great work
Shirley Bovshow