Summer in a Bowl: Watermelon Gazpacho

We eat watermelon on repeat during the summer months, indulging frequently in the juicy and sweet fruit while it's in its top-taste season. With more than 90 percent water content, watermelon is high in antioxidants, amino acids and potassium, making it a summertime hydration powerhouse. Because the average watermelon is quite large and we're a small family, I'm often on the hunt for creative ways to prepare it for lunches and meals beyond simply slicing or dicing. Enter watermelon gazpacho. Originating in the hot and dry Andalusia region of southern Spain, gazpacho is a cold soup made by blending raw vegetables, like tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, onion and garlic, with olive oil, vinegar and herbs. It's a popular seasonal soup in Spain and Portugal due to its cooling qualities. Now, I'm a wintertime soup girlie, through and through. I'll make a pot of soup on Sunday afternoon and eat it for lunch all week long. For me, warm soup is comfort in a bowl. But hot soup in the summer? Not my thing. So, this watermelon gazpacho recipe that popped into my social media feed recently was instantly intriguing to me. Plus, added bonus: I had all the vegetables on-hand from my CSA and a huge watermelon to eat before it went bad. Would it be weird to eat a sweet soup? I wasn't sold but was willing to give it a try. First, let me assure you that this gazpacho recipe is not super-sweet. It's certainly not akin to drinking straight blended watermelon, although that's also delicious. There is a mild flavor of watermelon, but the other ingredients completely balance it out, especially if you add the chunk of jalapeño, which I did because I love a little heat in my food. The basil, green onion and garlic also bring a nice savoriness. Definitely let the gazpacho sit as recommended to allow the flavors to meld. I left mine right in the blender and just popped it as-is into the fridge. It was tasty after three hours and even better the next day, which is also the case with a lot of hot soups. The chunkiness from the added diced vegetables gives it a refreshing crunch, but if you'd prefer the soup smooth, you could just blend them all completely. I subbed apple cider vinegar for the original red wine vinegar and used a whole scallion rather than the one-third cup of green onion that was called for in the original recipe. Feel free to play with the ingredients to meet your own preferences and adjust as needed. Soups are immensely adaptable and can be customized easily for any palate. This watermelon gazpacho was a surefire hit that I'll be adding to my summertime menu playlist. My favorite melon just got an upgrade. Watermelon Gazpacho Adapted from loveandlemons.com Ingredients: 4 heaping cups seedless watermelon, cubed 1 medium to large cucumber, diced 3 medium or 2 large tomatoes, diced 1 small red bell pepper, diced 1 large green onion or scallion, diced 1 garlic clove 1 small handful basil 3 Tbsp. red wine or apple cider vinegar 3 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for drizzling 1 tsp. sea salt, or to taste 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, or to taste Optional: jalapeño pepper Optional garnishes: diced avocado, microgreens, chopped basil Instructions: Chop watermelon and add to blender. Dice vegetables, finely dicing and setting aside about 1/4 cup each of cucumber, tomatoes, red pepper and green onions. Add the rest to blender. Add garlic, basil, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and jalapeño pepper if using. Blend until smooth, taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Pour into a large bowl (or leave in blender) and stir in the reserved finely diced vegetables. Chill for 3 to 4 hours or overnight. Serve in bowls, drizzling with olive oil and garnish as desired.