Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho

Ahhhhh…Summertime. When summertime graces us with all her glory here in Minnesota it’s time to hit the local farmers market for fresh fruits, veggies, and other seasonal fare…Which also means it’s time to turn off the range and enjoy these wholesome foods in their fresh, natural state.

There are a few seasonal recipes I start dreaming about as soon as the weather warms…one of those recipes is this Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho featured in Sarma Melngailis' first [un] cookbook "Raw Food Real World". I bought this book five years ago when I ate at her takeaway bar, One Lucky Duck, in Manhattan. I was completely blown away by the flavors of the food that I had to learn more. When I came home, my husband bought me a VitaMix (for my birthday-Best. Birthday. Present. EVER.), a year later came the Excalibur dehydrator...and the rest is history. The way I look at it, eating fresh, raw food just makes sense.

Diced, sliced, and chopped! 

When I caught wind that there was a second book about to be published I pre-ordered that book like it was nobody's business and was thrilled when I received my autographed copy by Sarma herself (EEEEEEEEEEEEE!).

Anyway, on to the good stuff. As far as gazpacho goes,  I’ve never been a huge fan as I’ve always felt like I was just eating spoonfuls of salsa, but this recipe is different. The watermelon base filled with diced watermelon, tomato, red pepper, and cucumber is extraordinarily refreshing. Plus, the ginger and jalapeno add a kick, while the cilantro adds even more flavor. As Sarma writes in her book, “I'm sure this sounds totally cliché, but this soup is like summertime in a bowl.” And she is right…It is summertime in a bowl.

Bonus?  It’s super easy to make and yields a batch large enough to enjoy throughout the week…So instead of spending time in your kitchen cooking, get out and enjoy the sunshine with a bowl of summertime!

Summertime in a bowl...With a HUGE piece of cilantro...Clearly, I need to work on my food photography. 

 Eat Healthy, Stay Happy.

Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho
Sarma Melngailis
Raw Food Real World

Ingredients:
3 cups watermelon, seeded and pureed in a blender
1 cup seeded watermelon, diced small
1 cup seeded tomato, diced small (about 2 medium tomatoes)
1 cup peeled, seeded cucumber, diced small (from about 1/2 English cucumber or 1 or 2 whole Kirbys) 1/2 cup red or green bell pepper, diced small
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 small handful cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 green onion, white and 1 inch of green, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In a large glass bowl or container, combine the watermelon puree with the diced watermelon, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, lime juice, cilantro, ginger, jalapeno, green onion and salt. Stir to combine.