Watermelon-Cucumber Gazpacho

By Mark Bittman

Updated May 30, 2024

Total Time
5 minutes
Rating
4(624)
Notes
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Soup is something you can have any time of year, but the same can’t be said for good watermelon, asparagus or tomatoes, so make the most of them.

Gazpacho-type soups can be made at the last moment; they should feel hearty and thick. If you’d like, you can purée, chill and serve this soup as a beverage. Bear in mind that everything tends to taste less salty when it’s cold, so you may actually want to oversalt savory soups. Or just wait until the last minute and salt to taste.

Featured in: Watermelon Gazpacho

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Ingredients

  • ½pound tomato
  • 1½pounds seeded and cubedwatermelon for the rest
  • handfulof mint leaves
  • 1peeled and dicedcucumber
  • ¼cup olive oil
  • 2tablespoons lemonjuice
  • Crumbled feta
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine ½ pounds chopped tomatoes and 1½ pounds seeded and cubed watermelon with 1 peeled and diced cucumber, ¼ cup olive oil, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a food processor or blender; process until chunky-smooth.

  2. Step 2

    Garnish: Crumbled feta and chopped mint.

Ratings

4 out of 5
624 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Elana

Great with lime juice and cut up pieces of avocado. Haven't tried feta...
Also put in a litte onion and garlic.

Stephanie

It made about 5 cups in my blender.

Pat

I tried this recipe after tasting 2 different gazpachos, one of which was too sweet for my taste. So I adjusted this recipe using equal parts tomato and watermelon, 12 oz each, with no change in amounts of the other ingredients, which lowered the calorie and sugar content a bit. It was a more traditional gazpacho with some of the refreshing watermelon taste. The feta cheese adds to the flavor, and we topped with some ground pepper to taste.

LCRI Cook

Doubled recipe and made as an appetizer for eight in small bowls. No scale so did 'double-plus' amount of watermelon to tomatoes. Ended up serving nine bowls with 12 to 16 oz left for the hosts. Everyone raved about it. I added two pressed cloves of garlic based on comments though will try just one next time.. Seeded tomatoes and suggest you pulse to desired consistency if using a food processor, don't 'process'.

Ellie H

I tasted as I was blending it and found it a bit bland, so added extra lemon juice (nearly double - but both my watermelon and tomato were very ripe and sweet) and a generous dash of salt, as well as adding the mint leaves to the blender at the end rather than saving for a garnish. The result was delicious - light and sweet and flavorful with just enough zest and tang. Definitely needs to be served well-chilled (allow additional time if your ingredients have been in the fridge!).

Russ

Played with the recipe a bit based on other comments here. Went more for an even ratio of tomato and watermelon, added half a serrano, a seeded kirby cucumber, a white pepper, lime instead of lemon and a bit of fish sauce at the end. Really delicious with those modifications. Brought it back from too sweet, to a sweet/savory/spicy combination. I know - not really the same recipe but this seemed like a typical Bittman recipe to me; more of a guideline than a hard set of instructions.

MarciaF

My husband is allergic to tomatoes so I had to adapt this. Upped the volume a little overall: used a bit more than 2lbs cubed watermelon, plus the cuke, and about 1/4 lb mango. Increased lemon juice to 3 T. Added a seeded chopped jalapeño and 1/2 of a small chopped red onion. To make up for the missing tomato acid, I added 1 T sherry vinegar. Blended it all until smooth, then blended in 1/3 c olive oil. It came out AMAZING.

Bill

A hand operated Food Mill would work well.

Kat

Good, but like others, I added garlic, onion, and a jalapeño because it was a bit sweet.

Shelia

Add or substitute onion and avocado.

daniel

Half tomatoes- half watermelon Lime juice instead of lemon Add jalapeño. Could use more heat

Makovina

OK. My prep was flawed. I had only a little stub of cuke and no feta. It needed both, the feta more than the cuke... but damn it was delicious. It was dinner with cold shrimp on the side and between the two of us we almost ate the whole soup. Can't wait to add the missing pieces (the feta's saltiness will add a significant dimension).

Peter

Made this with 1/2 a leftover watermelon. Added 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar and about 1 teaspoon hot sauce. Chilled and served with the fresh mint and Feta. Really good and perfect for dealing with this heat dome over Florida!

Bonnie

I made this as is but added a small amount of Worcestershire Sauce and some paprika. Really perked up the flavor. I’ve made this several times and find it an easier way to make gazpacho. It’s my go to gazpacho recipe.

bernadette

Have you frozen this soup?

ZFMT

Gazpacho was one of the first things I learned to “cook,”’from a Times of London recipe as a child, a fussy one that necessitated peeling tomatoes. I’ve loved it ever since, though sometimes struggle to find tomatoes that are sweet enough to really make it delicious. This watermelon version is an amazing hack, as the sweetness of the melon more than compensates for tomatoes that are just ok. I added some red bell pepper but don’t love raw onion or garlic so eschewed that. Perfect!

April

As foreseen, my company all LOVED the soup and clamored for the recipe!

BHGW

I just made this. Other than lime juice suggested by others versus lemon juice, I cannot think of a way to improve this. It's really perfect as is. Serving tomorrow to six, so hope I don't eat it all before then.

Shobhana

Added 1 Serrano pepper and three cloves of garlic. Didn’t have lemons and forgot to add the oil. Still delicious.

Alex

I added basil, 2 scallions, and 1/2 a jalapeño for some extra kick. Ended up doing two batches in the blender to use most of the watermelon with some leftover.

my version

Add Serrano or halapeno

my version

Add Serrano or halapeno and 1 tbs of salt

Russ

Played with the recipe a bit based on other comments here. Went more for an even ratio of tomato and watermelon, added half a serrano, a seeded kirby cucumber, a white pepper, lime instead of lemon and a bit of fish sauce at the end. Really delicious with those modifications. Brought it back from too sweet, to a sweet/savory/spicy combination. I know - not really the same recipe but this seemed like a typical Bittman recipe to me; more of a guideline than a hard set of instructions.

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