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Watermelon gazpacho, a fruity and refreshing spin on the Spanish cold tomato soup, is a summer staple. It’s easy to make in a blender with fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables. Enjoy a bowl whenever it’s hot outside!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
A hot summer day calls for a bowl of chilled watermelon gazpacho! So refreshing and fruity, one bowl will instantly cool you down.
This naturally vegan, gluten-free, and low-calorie watermelon gazpacho recipe puts an extra fruity twist on classic cold tomato gazpacho or even this cucumber gazpacho. It’s still made with the classics, like blended tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and vinegar, but I added a bunch of fresh watermelon to the mix because (1) summer is watermelon season and (2) it’s a fun and easy way to use up this giant melon!
The best part is that it only takes about 5 minutes to put this no-cook soup together. Blend the ingredients until smooth, chill the watermelon soup overnight, and enjoy! Its sweet-savory flavors pair so well with your favorite vegan summer recipes and Spanish-inspired meals.
Looking for more ways to enjoy watermelon this summer? Try my healthy watermelon popsicles, watermelon cooler, and watermelon slushie recipes as well.
What is Gazpacho?
Gazpacho is a light and fresh chilled soup from the Andalusian region of Spain. It’s traditionally made from raw vegetables, like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onions, and garlic, with sherry vinegar and salt for flavor and sometimes bread as a thickener. The authentic version pounds the veggies in a mortar and pestle, but, thankfully, the modern version is just as tasty when prepared in a blender.
Authentic gazpacho uses tomatoes as a base, but adding watermelon gives it a fresh, extra hydrating, and fruity spin. With the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors, you’ll love cooling down with a bowl on hot summer days.
The Ingredient Notes
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and their quantities.
When shopping for watermelon, look for a melon that feels heavy for its size, has a distinct “field spot” (a yellowish spot where it sat on the ground), and has a vibrant dark green skin with very little brown spots.
Flavor Variations
There are a few ingredients you can add to this gazpacho recipe to make it your own:
- Fresh mint leaves: Use a 50-50 mix of fresh mint leaves and basil leaves.
- Sherry vinegar: This is the best substitute for red wine vinegar.
- More fruits: Blend in a handful of fresh strawberries, cherries, or chopped cantaloupe to make it extra refreshing.
- Chili powder: A dash of chili powder or cayenne pepper will give the soup a nice kick of heat.
How to Make Watermelon Gazpacho
Step 1: Add the watermelon, half of the cucumber, half of the tomatoes, half of the red bell pepper, onion, garlic, basil, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a blender.
Step 2: Blend until very smooth. Taste the gazpacho and adjust the flavors as needed before blending in the remaining cucumber, tomatoes, and bell pepper.
Step 3: Transfer the soup to a large airtight container and chill it in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours or overnight.
Step 4: Serve the soup in bowls the next day with fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil on top. Enjoy!
For a super smooth gazpacho, strain the blended soup through a fine mesh sieve and discard the pulp.
FAQs
This watermelon gazpacho is meant to be refreshing and cooling, so it’s best served chilled! You can even serve it over ice if it’s a particularly hot day.
Stick with medium-sized tomatoes, like Roma or Campari tomatoes. They blend seamlessly into the soup and give it a deliciously sweet, umami, garden-fresh flavor.
Absolutely. Thanks to all of those fresh fruits and veggies, this low-calorie watermelon gazpacho keeps you hydrated and is a fantastic source of potassium, vitamin C, fiber, folate, and many more vitamins and minerals.
Pro Recipe Tips
- Use fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables: If you can, make this watermelon gazpacho recipe in late summer using fresh, in-season fruits and veggies from your local farmer’s market.
- Slowly add the oil: By slowly drizzling the olive oil into the blender while it’s running (on low speed), the soup will be more emulsified and have more body.
- Don’t skip the chill! I highly recommend chilling the blended soup in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving, although leaving it overnight will give you the best results. The flavors in gazpacho get even better as it sits, which is why the leftovers taste so good!
- Keep it cold: If it’s a scorching hot day, I recommend serving the soup over ice in a tall glass.
Serving Recommendations
Pour your watermelon gazpacho into a bowl or a tall glass with ice and garnish it with:
- Chopped fresh basil leaves
- Other fresh herbs, like mint, parsley, or chives
- A drizzle of olive oil
- Finely diced watermelon, tomatoes, or cucumbers (or all three!)
- Cubed avocado
- Crumbled tofu feta cheese
- Homemade croutons
Enjoy the soup as a palate cleanser, appetizer, or side dish with even more Spanish-inspired dishes or tapas, like vegan paella or healthy patatas bravas, or keep it simple with no knead bread, tomato bread, or a Panzanella salad on the side.
Storage Instructions
The blended and chilled gazpacho will keep for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Place the leftovers on the kitchen counter for 10 minutes or so before serving, as the consistency will be slightly thicker when chilled.
You can also freeze gazpacho in a freezer-safe container, Ziplock/Stasher bags, or an ice cube tray for up to 6 months. Allow the leftovers to thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Watermelon Gazpacho
Ingredients
- 4 heaping cups of cubed seedless watermelon
- 1 English cucumber diced, divided
- 3 medium tomatoes diced, divided
- 1 small red bell pepper diced, divided
- ¼ cup of red onion chopped
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- ¼ cup of basil plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup of red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup of olive oil plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon of salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper plus more to taste
Instructions
- To the cup of a blender, add all of the watermelon, half of the cucumber, half of the tomatoes, half of the red bell pepper, all of the onion, garlic, basil, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Blend until smooth, taste, and adjust seasoning levels. Optionally, for a smoother gazpacho, strain it into a bowl and discard the pulp.
- Add the remaining cucumber, tomatoes, and bell pepper and store it in a large container with a lid.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours or overnight for more flavor.
- Stir and serve with fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
- Use fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables: If you can, make this watermelon gazpacho recipe in late summer using fresh, in-season fruits and veggies from your local farmer’s market.
- Slowly add the oil: By slowly drizzling the olive oil into the blender while it’s running (on low speed), the soup will be more emulsified and have more body.
- Don’t skip the chill! I highly recommend chilling the blended soup in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving, although leaving it overnight will give you the best results. The flavors in gazpacho get even better as it sits, which is why the leftovers taste so good!
- Keep it cold: If it’s a scorching hot day, I recommend serving the soup over ice in a tall glass.
Love the flavor of this!