Watermelon Gazpacho Recipe -- Easy, Frugal, Paleo, Vegan

I've been begged by so many people to share this recipe, that I pushed it to the front of my posting schedule. I have been making watermelon gazpacho for so long, but never had a specific recipe, since its one of those things that is completely flexible and is more or less made to taste. But because you asked, here it is.

Gazpacho is a cold soup made of raw, blended vegetables, originating in Spain. While traditionally made with tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, this version is made with purely watermelon as the base ingredient. I went to dinner at a friend's house who is allergic to raw tomatoes, and she could eat this, even though traditional gazpacho is off limits to her.

The reason why I especially like making watermelon gazpacho is that it is the perfect thing to do with a less than perfect watermelon. If you have a watermelon that you don't want to be eating raw, whether its a bit old and soggy, or not too sweet, gazpacho transforms it into something delicious.


Recently when I went grocery shopping, they had a watermelon that smashed and sat out all day, so it really wasn't in the best condition. They were going to throw it out, so instead I took it home and used it to make my gazpacho.

This gazpacho is gluten free, vegan, and paleo, and made with no processed ingredients. It's a winner every time.

Don't use my recipe exactly as is, add less of the amounts at first, and then add more to taste. If your watermelon is more bland or more sweet or anything else that would affect its flavor, you may want to adjust the other ingredients. Totally flexible, and always tastes good.

Watermelon Gazpacho Recipe -- Easy, Frugal, Paleo, Vegan

Ingredients:

6 cups diced watermelon or half a small watermelon
1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 to 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3-4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 tablespoon dried oregano

Instructions:

1. Peel and chop up your watermelon. Remove as many seeds as you can, but if you have a powerful blender, you can leave some seeds in, and they'll blend up into indistinguishable pieces, and add more protein as well.

2. Blend up your watermelon.

3. Add the oil and vinegar, and blend up.

4. Add your garlic and blend up.

5. Add salt and oregano.

6. Adjust to taste.

7. Chill before serving if your watermelon wasn't already cold.

Because of the vinegar content, this will last quite a while in the fridge, even if your watermelon was nearing the end of its shelf life when you made it.

Enjoy!

Ever heard of watermelon gazpacho? Ever have it before? Does this look like something you'd try? What do you do with less than perfect watermelons?