Chilled Watermelon Gazpacho with Cucumber-Chile Relish

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A no-cook, blender-only summer soup: ripe watermelon spun smooth with tomato, cucumber, lime and just enough jalapeño to wake it up, then chilled hard until it's ice-cold. A crunchy cucumber-bell pepper relish spooned over the top gives every spoonful texture. Creole-leaning heat and a splash of hot sauce keep it from tasting like dessert.

Ingredients

• 6 cup seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 lb trimmed)
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered
• 1 medium English cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup sweet onion, roughly chopped
• 1 small jalapeño, seeded (or half seeded, half not, for more heat)
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice, plus more to finish
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp Louisiana-style hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp celery salt
• 1/4 cup packed fresh basil or mint leaves

• 1 cup English cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch dice (skin on)
• 3/4 cup watermelon, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1/3 cup yellow or red bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 tbsp red onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Flaky sea salt
• Lime wedges
• Torn basil or mint leaves

Instructions

1. Set aside 3/4 cup of the watermelon in small dice for the relish before you cut the rest into rough 1-inch cubes. Chill the diced watermelon in the fridge.
2. Add the 6 cups cubed watermelon, tomatoes, chopped cucumber, red bell pepper, sweet onion, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, vinegar, 1 tsp kosher salt, hot sauce, celery salt, and basil to a blender. If your blender is small, work in two batches and combine in a large bowl.
3. Blend on high for 60 to 90 seconds, until completely smooth and slightly frothy. The soup should be a pale coral pink and pourable, like heavy cream.
4. Taste. It should read savory-sweet with a clear lime edge and a low hum of heat. Add salt 1/4 teaspoon at a time and lime 1 teaspoon at a time until the flavors snap forward. Cold blunts seasoning, so season it slightly bolder than feels right at room temperature.
5. For a silkier texture, pour the soup through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl or pitcher, pressing gently with a ladle. Skip this step if you like a little body.
6. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, ideally 4 to 6, until the soup is thoroughly cold (below 40°F). Do not shortcut this — a lukewarm gazpacho tastes flat and syrupy.
7. Make the relish up to 1 hour before serving: toss the diced cucumber, reserved diced watermelon, bell pepper, red onion, minced jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and 1/4 tsp salt in a small bowl. Keep it refrigerated so it stays crisp.
8. Just before serving, whisk or re-blend the chilled soup for 10 seconds to re-emulsify (it separates as it sits). Taste once more cold and correct with a squeeze of lime or a pinch of salt.
9. Ladle about 1 cup of soup into each chilled shallow bowl. Spoon a generous mound of relish into the center, drizzle with olive oil, and finish with flaky salt and torn basil. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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