This Watermelon Gazpacho is everything you want in a soup during the middle of the summer. It’s made in a blender instead of the stovetop, chock full of the very best summer produce, and it’s served cold too—because no one wants hot soup in July!
Watermelon makes gazpacho extra refreshing!
This is the time of year when I’m always on the hunt for no-cook dinner options. Salads and sandwiches are on the menu often. Soups? Not so much.
Unless… it’s gazpacho! And this watermelon gazpacho is my very favorite.
The thing you must keep in mind with gazpacho, especially if you’re a gazpacho skeptic, is that “soup” is kind of the wrong way to think about it. It’s not like taking your leftover Tomato Soup out of the fridge and grabbing a spoon.
Instead, gazpacho is more like the perfect mixture of a soup and salad! And adding watermelon makes it even more refreshing; it softens the acidity of the tomatoes, adds sweetness, and gives the soup a lighter body that makes it ideal for the dog days of summer.
Ingredients and Substitutions
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Watermelon. Choose a ripe, sweet seedless watermelon. (If you happen to have a seeded watermelon on hand, no worries—it just makes prep time a little longer because you’ll have to remove the seeds.)
- English Cucumber. English cucumbers have thin skins and very few seeds, making them ideal for gazpacho.
- Tomatoes. If the tomatoes don’t taste good on their own, the soup won’t either. This is the recipe to make when tomatoes are at their peak.
- Red Bell Pepper. Bell pepper adds sweetness and body.
- Red Onion and Garlic. Just enough to provide sharpness and depth. Chopping it before blending helps it incorporate more smoothly.
- Fresh Basil or Mint. Basil leans more savory and classic Mediterranean, while mint makes the soup especially cooling and refreshing.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. Good olive oil gives the gazpacho a silky mouthfeel and helps emulsify the vegetables.
- Sherry Vinegar. Sherry vinegar is traditional and my first choice. At one point during the testing process, I used red wine vinegar because I ran out of sherry vinegar and that turned out great too.
- Kosher Salt and Pepper. If you use table salt instead of kosher salt, you’ll want to add a touch less.
- Feta. Optional, but I love the salty, sharp contrast with the sweet soup!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Reserve the Garnishes (photo 1). Before you start blending, finely chop a little watermelon and cucumber and set them aside for garnish.
Prep the Vegetables. Cut the remaining watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, and bell pepper into roughly 1-inch pieces. Divide each vegetable between the blender and a large bowl.
Blend the Base (photo 2). To the blender with the veggies, add the onion and garlic, herbs, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Blend on high until completely smooth, with no visible bits of garlic or herbs.
Add Texture (photo 3). Add the reserved vegetables from the bowl. Pulse just a few times.
Chill (photo 4). Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The soup should be thoroughly cold before serving. (If you have time, make it the day before. The flavor will be even better!)
Taste One More Time. Taste the gazpacho just before serving, adding more salt or vinegar as needed. Divide into bowls and ENJOY!
Erin’s Testing Notes
The first time I made this recipe, I blended everything at once and felt that the gazpacho was missing some texture. The next time, I left it chunky, but it was still more watery than I would like.
The winning version blended half the veggies to create a creamy base, then pulsed in the second half just until they were broken into pieces. This approach also thickens the gazpacho without adding bread.
What to Serve with Watermelon Gazpacho
- Bread. Gazpacho is the perfect light lunch or dinner alongside a crusty baguette or No Knead Focaccia.
- Protein. A grilled protein like Grilled Shrimp or Grilled Chicken Breast would be especially good!
- Salad. Pair your watermelon gazpacho with a light salad like this Spinach Salad.
Watermelon Gazpacho
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Ingredients
- 4 cups diced seedless watermelon about 1½ pounds
- 1 small English hothouse cucumber (about ½ pound)
- 1½ pounds ripe tomatoes about 3 large or 6 small
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- ¼ cup roughly chopped red onion
- 1 small garlic clove very roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh basil or mint leaves plus additional for garnish
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar or lime juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus additional to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Crumbled feta optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Reserve the garnish: Set out a large bowl and a small bowl. Finely chop ½ cup of the watermelon and place it in the small bowl for garnish. Add half of the remaining watermelon to the large bowl and half to the blender.
- Prep the cucumber: Cut off about a quarter of the cucumber, finely chop it, and add it to the small bowl with the watermelon. Cut the rest into 1-inch chunks, adding half to the blender and half to the large bowl.
- Prep the tomatoes: Core the tomatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks. Add half to the blender and half to the large bowl.
- Prep the bell pepper: Cut the bell pepper into 1-inch chunks. Add half to the blender and half to the large bowl.
- Blend the base: To the blender, add the onion, garlic, basil or mint, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Starting on low speed and increasing to high, blend until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add texture: Add the watermelon, cucumber, tomatoes, and bell pepper from the large bowl. Pulse a few times to break them into small pieces, leaving some texture.
- Chill the soup: Cover the soup and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until very cold, to give the flavors time to develop. Add a small pinch of salt to the reserved garnishes and refrigerate alongside the soup.
- Garnish and serve: Taste the chilled soup and adjust with more salt or vinegar as needed, since watermelon varies in sweetness. Ladle into bowls and top with the reserved watermelon and cucumber, feta (if using), and a few small basil or mint leaves. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- The flavor of gazpacho changes as it sits. Taste right before serving and adjust the salt and vinegar so it tastes bright, not flat.
- This recipe is written for Morton kosher salt. If you use Diamond Crystal, which is less salty by volume, start with a bit more and add to taste.
- This soup is even better made in advance. Make it up to 1 day ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator; the flavors settle as it sits.
- For a fuller-bodied, more traditional texture, blend a 1½-ounce piece of day-old baguette into the base in Step 5.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- TO MAKE AHEAD: This is one of the rare recipes that improves with time. Prepare it up to 1 day in advance and stir well before serving.
