How Does Spicy Watermelon Gazpacho Sound?

You know it’s officially summer when juicy, sweet, refreshing fruit hits the farm stands. Along country roads in the Southern states, you’ll find numerous fruit and vegetable stands. In the old days, there would be metal cattle-watering troughs filled with cold water, ice and freshly picked watermelons. We would stop daily to grab a melon, sometimes barely making it to the back of the station wagon before slicing one open and devouring it right then and there. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I came to learn about gazpachos, so this recipe combines my childhood memories with my adult need to elevate those taste memories. But, really, does it get any better than a farm-stand snack?

Watermelon Gazpacho

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 3 cups peeled, seeded and diced watermelon
• 1 cup seeded and diced tomatoes
• 1 cup seeded and diced cucumber
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
• ½ cup fresh mint leaves
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves, plus 6–8 chopped leaves, for garnish
• 2 tsp salt, plus extra to taste
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ cup orange juice
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Directions

In a large bowl and using an immersion blender, or in the bowl of a traditional blender or food processor, place the watermelon, tomato, cucumber, garlic, jalapeños, mint and ½ cup basil. Sprinkle with the salt.

Blitz until smooth. (You may have to do this in batches if you are using a food processor or if your traditional blender is small.) Once the mixture is smooth, add the juices and blend on medium speed. Drizzle in the olive oil and blend to combine (you could do this with a whisk). Add the salt to taste.

Chill the soup in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or for up to 24 hours. Garnish with the remaining basil.

Excerpted from Together at Sobo by Lisa Ahier, with Susan Musgrave. Copyright © 2023 Lisa Elaine Ahier. Photographs by Jeremy Koreski. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Next: These Watermelon Cups Are THE App of the Summer