Watermelon and Cucumber Gazpacho

Nana Lee's Note:

This fresh, colorful soup makes a great summer starter. It's definitely different and very refreshing.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

Yield: 4.0 bowls

• 1 (3 lb) seedless watermelon, diced, divided (about 5 cups)
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 small jalapeno chile, seeded, minced
• 3 inner celery ribs, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 small red onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup creme fraiche or 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. Puree 4 cups watermelon in blender until smooth.
2. Transfer puree to large bowl.
3. Add remaining 1 cup diced watermelon and next 10 ingredients; stir to combine.
4. Cover gazpacho and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
5. Divide gazpacho among bowls and top with dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream.
6. Makes 4 servings.
7. Bon Appétit.
8. August 2005.

Reviews

[erosenthal]

This is the best soup I've ever had. So subtle, so amazing. Skipped the jalepenos and added mayo instead of sour cream because that's what I had on hand and put in my tomato gazpacho.

[L'ecole]

I made this for an outing on the lake. While I love regular (tomato) gazpacho, one of my friends suffers from acid reflux, so I made this instead. Everyone LOVED it! At one reviewer's suggestion I swapped balsamic vinegar for red wine vinegar. Also pureed the whole thing, which made for a lovely texture, albeit no crunch. Could do it either way, really. But perfect for a hot summer day's outing.

[Glori-B]

What a wonderfully refreshing soup! The temperatures here have been in the high 90's and this soup was an amazing fix to the "I'm too hot to eat" blues! Taking a cue from the other reviewers, I halved the vinegar and switched it to balsamic. I also used half the amount of jalapeno pepper due to personal preferences. A delight to the eye and the palate! Thanks Nana Lee!