Watermelon Gazpacho

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This Watermelon Gazpacho Recipe is easy to make and a delicious and refreshing way to enjoy more veggies. Watermelon soup is a tasty balance between sweet and savory and perfect for a hot summer day.

silver tray with glasses of watermelon gazpacho with chunks of colorful veggies floating on top. garnishes of fresh mint and lime wedges on the tray.

Jump to:

Why you will love this fruit gazpacho
How to buy and store watermelon
Ingredients for Watermelon Gazpacho and Substitutions
How to make It
Debra’s Pro Tips
FAQs
Refreshing & Nutrient Dense—Perfect for Hot Summer Days
More Summer Recipes you will adore:
📖 Recipe

A cold watermelon soup is just the way to get your summer on.Sweet Watermelon…tangy lime…spicy jalapeno….crunchy cucumber…refreshing mint…Oh my! The deliciousness!

Cold soup recipes like this watermelon tomato gazpacho are so perfect for summertime. When it’s hot and humid, this is a refreshing and super tasty way to still get in some nutrition without having to heat up the house!

Sometimes it’s hard to pack in nutrition when all you really care about is cooling off and hydrating. This gazpacho is the perfect summer recipe as it is both refreshing and nutrient dense, not to mention delicious! I love the pairing of the sweet watermelon and the spicy jalapeno, and the combination of smooth juice with the chunky vegetables.

Make gazpacho shooters to serve as an appetizer, bring it in a thermos to the beach for lunch, or enjoy a bowl for breakfast…just make sure you make it all summer long….because gazpacho season with fresh watermelon doesn’t last long!

Why you will love this fruit gazpacho

White bowl, filled with watermelon gazpacho, and loaded with colorful diced veggies, on a plate with some fresh mint, a slice of lime and a few watermelon triangles.

Fun and refreshing way to get in some extra veggies.
Perfect for hot summer weather.
Easy prep that won’t heat up your house.
Full of “feel good” ingredients for a great pick me up.
Make this in just 10 minutes.
Serve as an appetizer in cute small glasses.
Low calories….and low carbs…but high on nutrition.
Awesome meal prep recipe. Store the soup and the diced veggies separately…for up to 5 days.
It’s sweet….and savory….and tangy…all at the same time!!
Everyone can enjoy this recipe….it’s Vegan, Gluten-free, WFPBNO, Paleo and Whole30 compliant.

How to buy and store watermelon

The best time to buy a watermelon is between May and September. Generally, the peak of watermelon season is mid-June to late August.
Seedless watermelons will have few, if any, black seeds, but the small white seeds often found in seedless watermelons are fine to eat.
Look for a watermelon without cuts or dents. It should feel heavy for its size. Some believe knocking on it and listening for a deep, rich thud indicates a ripe melon. Honestly, my method is to grab the one my eyes focus on first….and it usually results in a deep red melong that’s sweet and not mealy.
Whole watermelons retain their flavor best at room temperature.
Watermelon can be kept on the counter for 7-10 days.
Once watermelon is cut, it should be refrigerated. Cover all exposed flesh of a larger piece of melon with the rind still on with plastic wrap or store pieces of watermelon in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days max.

Ingredients for Watermelon Gazpacho and Substitutions

Ingredients for watermelon gazpacho: watermelon, fresh mint, scallions, cucumber, fresh tomatoes, limes, red and yellow bell peppers, jalapenos, salt and pepper.

WATERMELON: The star of the show! Adds a natural sweetness to this cold soup that is refreshing. Watermelon is 92% water, so it’s excellent to help with hydration. Although watermelon is sweet, it is low in calories and also contains good amounts of Vitamin C and A.
FRESH MINT: Fresh mint helps with digestion, plus adds a refreshing flavor to this gazpacho recipe. Good subs would be fresh cilantro, parsley or basil.
SCALLIONS: Not only do scallions add to the flavor of this cold soup, but they also are an excellent source of vitamins B2, K and C. Shallots or small diced purple onions would also work well in this recipe.
ENGLISH CUCUMBER: I buy them because they’re generally seedless…but not always. The small persian cukes are similarly crunchy without the thick skins prevalent on regular or pickling cukes…so if you can’t find english cukes, buy the persian cucumbers.
FRESH TOMATOES: Any fresh local tomatoes work well. I’ve used orange sungold, grape tomatoes, roma or large beefsteak tomatoes. Be sure to store your tomatoes at room temperature for the best flavor.
BELL PEPPERS: Any color will work well. Look for firm peppers without blemishes for crunch. Mini peppers can also be used.
JALAPENOS: If you remove the seeds and membranes, jalapenos will just add some great flavor, but not much heat. You can substitute hot peppers like serano, thai chili, habanero if you’re looking for more spice. OR, once the gazpacho is finished, if there’s not enough heat for you, add a dash of cayenne or a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes.
LIME ZEST AND JUICE: I love the natural zing that lime juice adds to this cold soup. Lemon juice will also work, but if you don’t have lime, I would substitute some red wine vinegar instead.
SALT + PEPPER: You can omit the salt is you’re cutting back on sodium. I do like the way it brings out the flavors in the veggies though.

How to make It

First you’ll need to separate the watermelon flesh from the hard peel. Start by cutting your watermelon in half and then lay the half, cut side down on a wooden cutting board. This is important for stability. Then, start from the crown and cut in a half moon arc towards the outside and then down. Continue until all sides are cut off. Then trim off any excess skin or super white parts.

Cutting off the rind of a watermelon in 4 photo steps: Half watermelon cut side down, cutting off peel from the top around in slices, and then trimming the remaining skin.

Now that the rind has been removed, you can cut into cubes. Start by making slices vertically, then horizontally and finally cut the spears into cubes. Set aside 5 cups of cubes for the gazpacho.

wooden cutting board. half a watermelon cut side down, aready has rind removed. cut into long slices and now slicing the other direction.

wooden board showing how to cube watermelon and the groove on the board is catching the watermelon juice.

Now you’re ready to prep the veggies. Separate into 2 groups. Half of all veggies will be blended into the soup, the other half you’ll dice small to scoop into the gazpacho. Use two bowls to gather the prepared vegetables.

Prepping Veggies: 2 white bowls, one has chunky red and yellow peppers, one has small dice red peppers and the cutting board is a yellow pepper being diced.

For the bell peppers, remove the stem, seeds and membranes and then separate the large chunks for the soup and small dice the rest.

two white bowls, one with rough chop bell peppers, one with minced yellow and red peppers. Also a bamboo board with a halved enblish cucumber and chef knife. — English or Persian cucumbers usually have fewer seeds and thinner skins, making them perfect for gazpacho.

cutting board with english cucumber halved lengthwise and then seeds scooped out. Plus two white bowls with chunks of red and yellow peppers or diced smaller red and yellow peppers. — English or Persian cucumbers usually have fewer seeds and thinner skins, making them perfect for gazpacho.

First cut the ends off the cucumber and then halve lengthwise. Scoop out any seeds. This is easy with a grapefruit spoon.

Thinly slicing scallions on a wooden cutting board. Above are 2 white bowls, one with chunks of bell peppers, scallions and cucumbers, the other has the same veggies in small dice.

Trim off the end with roots and then thinly slice scallions to put into gazpacho. Put half the bunch into the bowl to be blended with the watermelon.

Cutting board shows a tomato on the vine and another that has been cut in half and the seeds are being scooped out with a grapefruit spoon. There are two white bowls above the cutting board, one with chunks of colorful veggies and the other with small diced yellow and red peppers, cucumbers and scallions

It’s easy to scoop out the seeds to the tomato with the grapefruit spoon. Then, separate into the two bowls. If you’re using tiny tomatoes or roma tomatoes, it’s easier to just leave the seeds in.

Two bowls, one filled with chunky vegetables, the other the veggies are diced small: red and yellow peppers, cucumbers, scallions, tomatoes. On the cutting board a jalapeno is trimmed and the membranes are being removed from slices. — Take out seeds and trim membranes for no spice jalapenos

Cutting board with jalapeno thats been trimmed and seeded in being cut into strips. Above are two bowls, one filled with chunks of veggies, the other with small dice of same veggies: red and yellow peppers, scallions, cucumbers, tomatoes. — Take out seeds and trim membranes for no spice jalapenos

Jalapenos will add flavor but not much spice if you remove the seeds and membranes. Then you can easily cut into small dice by first cutting strips and then cutting the opposite direction.

Everything ready to make watermelon gazpacho. A bowl of cubed watermelon, a bowl of chunky veggies to puree for the soup, a bowl with small dice veggies to add after, some fresh mint leaves a zested lime and a juicer, plus salt and pepper.

OK…with everything prepped, it’s time to make some watermelon gazpacho!

Close up of a pitcher filled with chunks of watermelong, red and yellow peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions and fresh mint leaves. In a vitamix blender pitcher about to be blended into gazpacho.

Vitamix pitcher with half blended watermelon gazpacho. The bottom is blended in a pinkish red color and on the top are ingredients yet to be blended...chunks of tomato, cucumbers, watermelon and mint leaves.

Load up the blender! Vitamix Gazpacho is so easy…seriously, let the high speed blender do all the work for you!

Start by adding in the watermelon chunks. Then add in the fresh mint, chunks of cucumber, red and yellow peppers, tomatoes and jalapenos. Blend until fully mixed. Then add in salt, pepper, lime zest and juice and mix until just combined.

Put blended gazpacho into the fridge to chill. When ready to serve, pour into serving bowls or glasses and spoon in some diced veggies.

Watermelon Gazpacho in 4 glasses with chunks of colorful veggies floating on top. There is a bowl of cut up veggies on the side, and a bowl of watermelon chunks. On the other side is a white towel with blue stripes, some lime zest and wedges, and fresh mint leaves.

Debra’s Pro Tips

Close up of a glass of watermelon gazpacho filled with chunks of diced colorful veggies...on a silver tray with more glasses of gazpacho and some fresh mint and lime wedges.

Use a cutting board with a groove around the outside to collect the juice so it doesn’t drip onto your countertop. I can’t stress this one enough….been there before with a super sticky mess.
Pass around a tray with small glasses for a super fun appetizer.
Make sure to put the cut side down of your watermelon half for a stable way to cut the rind off.
Serve with extra lime slices for those who want more zing and crushed red pepper for those who want more spice!
If you want a lighter, more pinkish colored gazpacho, blend just the watermelon and save all the veggies for the chunks that go inside.
Feeling lazy? Coarsely chop most of the veggies in your food processor. Set aside. Then puree the watermelon and mix the two together. No chopping!

FAQs

Do you need to wash the outside of a watermelon before cutting?

Yes…because you don’t want dirt or pesticides to get onto the watermelon flesh while you’re cutting, it’s best to rinse off the watermelon before you begin cutting into it.

Is watermelon gazpacho good for you?

Watermelon is made mostly of water, so it’s hydrating, especially good in the warm weather. Watermelon is low in calories and still filling because of the high water content. This recipe for watermelon gazpacho is loaded with chunky vegetables that add to the nutrient density as well.

Refreshing & Nutrient Dense—Perfect for Hot Summer Days

Have fun with this! Serve it as a first course for brunch, maybe tainted with a blast of champagne! It’s a smart appetizer on a warm summer night before the barbeque, or a refreshing drink when you get back from the gym. This will stay good in your fridge for 5 days if its sealed tightly in a jar, so make a bit more than you need to have on hand!

More Summer Recipes you will adore:

📖 Recipe

Comments

5 from 9 votes (1 rating without comment)