WATERMELON GAZPACHO FROM A COUPLE COOKS

today’s refreshing watermelon gazpacho recipe is from sonja and alex of a couple cooks.  their focus on whole foods, mindful eating and dedication to starting conversations in the online community about how we relate to food is inspiring to me, and i know will be to you as well!  and watermelon gazpacho soup sounds like such a refreshing summer treat!  {more after the jump}

from a couple cooks:

We love the bowls of colorful veggies Sarah’s been serving up on Instagram lately! Here’s another vibrant dish full of whole food deliciousness, but this time in the form of a soup.

Cold soups are a brilliant way to stay cool in the heat of summer. They’re refreshing, healthy, and delicious — and pretty quick and easy to whip up. We love serving this soup as an appetizer to a pasta dish for dinner, or along with a sandwich, wrap, or hearty salad for lunch. We just enjoyed it with family in town for a hot summer weekend – even our 4-year-old niece loved it (the novelty of pink soup can’t be beat). Enjoy!

WATERMELON GAZPACHO

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients
About 8 cups watermelon, cubed (about half of one 16-pound watermelon)
1 medium cucumber
1 medium tomato
2 medium shallots
¼ cup loosely packed basil leaves
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
A few dashes hot sauce

Directions

– Chop the watermelon into rough cubes, removing the seeds. Place the cubes a blender and blend (the amount should fill a 1 ½ quart blender). Pour into a bowl and set aside.

– Cut the cucumber in half; remove the seeds by scooping them out with a spoon. Peel the cucumber halves, then roughly chop them into a few smaller pieces. Roughly chop the tomato into quarters. Cut off the ends of the two shallots and peel them, then cut them into quarters.

– Place the cucumber, tomato, shallots, and ¼ cup loosely packed basil leaves into the pitcher of the blender. Blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into the container with the watermelon mixture and mix  with a spoon until fully combined.

– Stir in 2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and a few dashes hot sauce. Place in the refrigerator and chill for about 2 to 3 hours, until cold.

– Before serving, taste and add additional salt and vinegar if desired. When serving, garnish with a few drops of olive oil and some thinly sliced basil leaves.