Watermelon Gazpacho

This watermelon gazpacho recipe SO refreshing on hot summer days! The watermelon’s subtle sweetness perfectly balances this cool, savory soup.

summer / soups / vegan

This watermelon gazpacho recipe is the perfect dish for hot summer days. In the past few weeks, I’ve gone from hot Austin to hot New York to hot Chicago. Now that I’m visiting my parents in Chicago’s west suburbs, I’m making this recipe as much as I can. I can’t think of anything as refreshing and hydrating as watermelon, so this cold soup really hits the spot. If it’s warm where you are, try it ASAP!

And just a heads up, this recipe makes a lot of watermelon gazpacho. It gets better as it chills, so I love to keep it in the fridge for quick lunches all week.

How to Make Watermelon Gazpacho

I always thought watermelon gazpacho seemed like an odd concept, but here’s the thing – when everything is mixed together, the soup doesn’t actually taste like watermelon. Tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, scallions, and herbs make it tangy and savory. Instead of making the soup sweet, the watermelon nicely balances these flavors. The final dish is rich, tangy, and complex – not too sweet at all.

When I make this recipe, I also add half a jalapeño for spice, but you can leave that out if you’re not into spicy things.

To make this recipe, combine all the cubed watermelon and half the tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, and green onion in a blender. Finely dice the remaining veggies and set them aside.

To the blender, add the extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and jalapeño, if using. Puree the soup until it’s completely smooth. Then, transfer it to a large bowl or individual jars and stir in the reserved veggies. Chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight, to allow the flavors to develop. Enjoy!

Watermelon Gazpacho Serving Suggestions

When you’re ready to eat, top the chilled soup with garnishes. I love to add extra chopped veggies, avocado, and microgreens. A dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, minced basil or parsley, or a sprinkle of hemp seeds would also be delicious.

Enjoy the watermelon gazpacho on its own with good crusty bread, or pair it with a salad or sandwich for a larger meal. It would be fantastic with any of these recipes:

Caprese Sandwich
Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Avocado Toast
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Cherry Tomato Couscous Salad
Easy Pasta Salad

If I’m not in the mood for a sandwich or a salad, I often serve this soup with labneh, hummus, tzatziki, or baba ganoush and homemade pita for dipping.

More Favorite Cold Soups

If you love this watermelon gazpacho recipe, try one of these chilled soup recipes next:

Easy Tomato Gazpacho
Cucumber Gazpacho
Sweet Corn Gazpacho
Carrot Coconut Soup

Watermelon Gazpacho

PrintPrep time 20 minsTotal time 20 mins This super refreshing watermelon gazpacho hits the spot on hot summer days. This recipe makes a big batch, so store the leftovers in the fridge for easy lunches all week long.Author: Jeanine DonofrioRecipe type: SoupServes: 6Ingredients

4 heaping cups cubed seedless watermelon
1 English cucumber, diced, reserve half
3 medium tomatoes, diced, reserve half
1 small red bell pepper, diced, reserve half
⅓ cup chopped green onions, diced, reserve half
1 garlic clove
small handful basil
3 to 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 to 2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ jalapeño pepper, optional
diced avocado, optional
micro greens, optional for garnish

Instructions

Set aside the reserved half of the chopped cucumber, tomatoes, red pepper and green onions and place the remaining half in a blender. Add the watermelon, garlic, basil, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and jalapeño pepper, if using. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Pour into a large bowl (or small individual jars, as pictured) and stir in the reserved chopped vegetables.
Chill for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with diced avocado and/or micro greens, if desired, before serving.