Watermelon Gazpacho

Watermelon for me is always sweet.I go for pops or juices or sorbets but enjoys it as such most of the times.  I never experiment with watermelon despite being inspired by several savoury recipes that I see in blogosphere. But this summer I thought I should try a simple gazpacho with it just for a change.

A gazpacho is a raw tomato based soup from Spain and watermelon gazpacho is an equally popular variation of the traditional one.I have adapted Tyler Florence's recipe from the FoodNetwork snd it turned out to be good or much better than expected. I was apprehensive before tasting it and was surprised that I could relate to the taste.

Ingredients:

Tomato: 1 small or 1/4 cup chopped
Watermelon: cubed 2 cups +more for garnish (optional)
Red onion: 2-3 tbsp
Cucumber: 2-3 tbsp + more for garnish

Garlic: 1 small clove
Green Chilly: 1 small(hot) or as per taste
Mint leaves: few as per taste

Salt, Pepper: as per taste

Red Wine Vinegar: 1 dash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 2 tsp

Preparation:

Puree the melon,tomato,cucumber and onion together with little quantity of mint,garlic and chilly. Add salt and pepper and adjust the chilly. Make sure the garlic and mint are not overpowering. Add in red wine vinegar and EVOO and give a final blend.Do the taste test and adjust the seasoning.

You will be having a tangy,red,thick and spicy liquid.Chill till serving time. Garnish with cubed cucumber/melon croutons and serve as a cold starter.

A tangy and cold red soupThe mint leaves an understated refreshing taste. Instead of mint, dill leaves can be used and are more popular in gazpachos.The watermelon is there for colour and a hint of sweetness. Again it depends on the ratio of ingredients that you have used.

I won't say the soup was excellent,but it was nice and palatable.My daughter did not touch this  but yes, the official head of the family gave his stamp of approval and had more than his fair share. :) A nice twist to the sweet melon and good for summer too. Atleast people who love tanginess should try it out.