It's over 100 degrees Fahrenheit most days in the peak of El Paso summer. This is the perfect appetizer to keep you feeling cool. Watermelon, mint, and cucumber. Try and name a cooler trio....we'll wait. Gazpacho is a traditional cold soup from Spain. We know cold soup sounds gross at first, but trust us, don't knock it until you try it! This dish has the perfect blend of sweet and savory and will keep all your guests guessing what's inside every bite. This recipe was adapted from Gimme Some Oven.
INGREDIENTS
Gazpacho
1.5 pounds of fresh seedless watermelon
3 large roma tomatoes (halved & cored)
1 cucumber (peeled & seeded)
1/2 small red onion (peeled)
2 small garlic cloves (peeled)
1/3 cup packed fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Toppings
Finely diced tomatoes and cucumbers
Mint leaves
RECIPE
Combine all ingredients into blender and blend until you get a soup-like consistency. You can add ingredients in a step wise fashion and taste along the way to make sure you like the flavor profile. The red onion has a strong presence so you can add a small amount at a time. You may only need 1/4 of a red onion or less. Season with extra salt, cumin, or pepper to your preference.
Refrigerate the gazpacho for 4 hours or until completely chilled.
Serve cold, topped with diced tomatoes and cucumber to add texture and crunch. And don't forget the mint leaves as garnish!
CONCLUSION
This watermelon gazpacho has become one of our favorite summer dishes. Perfect for potlucks and outdoor barbecues. We know the list of ingredients is long and seems like they aren't compatible, but trust us they all come together for the perfect harmony on your taste buds. One tip, try to find the darkest red watermelon you can to get a deep red color for the gazpacho otherwise it may turn pinkish/tan. The number of aprons we award to this recipe is....
