If you succumbed to the late-night infomercial touting the Magic Bullet, I can offer you a little redemption for your impulse purchase. Those tiny, smoothie-stirring, mini blenders make excellent gazpacho.
(No, I did not buy a blender from Mick and Mimi, the infomercial “stars” who make an entire meal using the Magic Bullet. I got mine at a Christmas gift swap. I received stinky Scentsy candles, but I traded for a Hamilton Beach mini blender.)
Back to that gazpacho: inspired by my recent lunch at Restaurant August, I rounded up every fresh thing in my kitchen and blended the hell out of it. Voila–restaurant-worthy soup, thanks to the inclusion of thai basil, spearmint, white onion, jalapeno & bell peppers, watermelon, a Cherokee Purple tomato, and a pinch of sea salt. A garnish of watermelon, cucumber, and toasted bread cubes added color and texture.
Blender Watermelon Gazpacho
- 1 medium tomato, cored and cut into 4-5 chunks
- 4 cups watermelon, seeded and cut into chunks; reserve 1 large chunk to be cut into small dice for a garnish
- 5-8 leaves thai basil
- 3-5 leaves spearmint
- 1 thin slice white or yellow onion
- 1 small bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped
- Pinch of sea salt
- To garnish: 1/4 cup cucumber, diced small; 1/2 cup toasted bread cubes; and reserved watermelon cubes
I have made a traditional gazpacho loaded with raw vegies. Any thoughts as to how this would freeze?
cindy
I wouldn’t freeze a traditional gazpacho, as the texture of slightly chunky vegetables will not be the same after freezing. A pureed gazpacho’s texture might survive fairly intact, but the delicacy of flavor will definitely diminish.