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