I was still working my way through my $10 Mystery Bag of fresh veggies from a local farm when my email pinged with a recipe for gazpacho from Tyler Florence at the Food Network. Since I was currently in possession of some pretty incredible local tomatoes and cucumbers, I figured it was a sign that I should be making us some.
Wicked simple to toss together, a bit of chopping, then pulsing in the food processor, this chilled soup will cool down even the warmest of late summer days…
Of course, that whole jalapeño will keep things nice and zippy, too.
INGREDIENTS
•1 large tomato, roughly seeded & chopped
•1/2 to 1 jalapeño, sliced*
•2 cups cubed fresh watermelon
•1 tsp red wine vinegar
•1/4 cup olive oil
•2 tbsp minced sweet onion
•1 cup seeded, diced cucumber
•1 tbsp minced fresh dill
•1/4 tsp sea salt
•1/4 tsp black pepper
•1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper
•1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
*I used a whole jalapeño and kept the seeds. If you want a lest, ermmm, zippy gazpacho, cut back on the jalapeño, and/or remove the seeds before adding to the processor. Remember, always wear gloves when handling hot peppers.
Place the tomato in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse until nicely puréed.
Note: the original recipe called for doing all of this in a blender, and I did try firing up my trusty Oster to make this soup. The results were not pretty. Trust me and just stick with the processor.
Add one cup of the watermelon, the jalapeño, olive oil, and red wine vinegar and pulse until blended and smooth.
Add the onion, dill, salt, and peppers and pulse again until blended and smooth.
Transfer to a covered container and stash in the fridge for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend.
When ready to serve, stir in the remaining cup of watermelon along with the feta cheese. You can add more dill as a garnish, if you like, but I didn’t really think it was necessary. Of course, I am not a huge fan of dill, so your taste may differ.