Chilled watermelon and tomato gazpacho is one of my favorite simple, make-ahead summertime Whole30 recipes!

A bowl of watermelon and tomato gazpacho topped with olive oil and cucumber.

True confession: As a child, I despised gazpacho.

Ever since that fateful day I tasted the bitingly acidic sludge my gastro-curious mom picked up from the neighborhood “gourmet” deli, I swore I’d never willingly eat chilled tomato soup again. It wasn’t until years later that I begrudgingly sampled a bowl of gazpacho at Oliveto’s and the scales fell from my eyes. Oh my. So that’s what gazpacho tastes like when it’s made with sun-ripened heirloom tomatoes and not V8 mixed with metallic-tasting canned tomatoes! These days, gazpacho is one of my favorite simple, make-ahead summertime recipes – especially when combined with the bright flavors of juicy watermelon, cool cucumbers, and crisp red peppers.

For this refreshing version of gazpacho, use the best tomatoes you can find. And no, removing the skins from the tomatoes and cucumber is not optional. Make this soup when you’re wilting under the heat of the summer sun, and you’ll thank me.

(Note: I made this recipe in a single batch ‘cause I own a gigantic, super-powerful, 64-ounce Vitamix. If you’ve got a smaller blender, divide the recipe in half or blend in batches. Alternatively, you can purée the soup in a food processor, but you won’t achieve the same smooth texture.)

Time to make Tomato and Watermelon Gazpacho!

Makes 8 cups

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds ripe tomatoes
  • 1 medium red bell pepper
  • 1 hothouse or English cucumber (approximately 1 pound)
  • 2 small shallots, coarsely chopped
  • 4 cilantro stalks
  • 1 pound cubed watermelon (approximately 3 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Here’s how you make the soup:

Gather the ripest tomatoes you can find and get ready to peel ’em.

Heirloom tomatoes sitting on a cutting board.

As I mentioned, peeling the tomatoes makes a HUGE difference in the final texture and taste of the soup. And tomatoes are easy to peel after you quickly blanch them and shock them in ice water.

Wanna see how to do it?

Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil.

A large pot is filling with water for tomato and watermelon gazpacho.

Cut a small ‘X” on the bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife…

Someone cutting a small "x" on the bottom of a tomato with a knife.

…and drop them into the boiling water for 30 seconds.

Someone using a spider strainer to dip a tomato into boiling water.

As soon as the time is up, transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl of ice water.

Taking the tomatoes out of the boiling pot of water with a spider strainer.

Tomatoes submerged in a bowl of ice water after being boiled for watermelon and tomato gazpacho.

After the tomatoes chill in the bowl for a minute or two, their skins should slide right off.

Someone peeling a tomato skin.

Core each tomato and roughly chop them, reserving all the juice and seeds.

Someone coring a boiled tomato with a knife.

Cored, peeled and boiled tomatoes on a cutting board.

Someone quartering the cooked, cored, and skinned tomatoes.

Next, grab the bell pepper and cucumber.

A red bell pepper and cucumber on a cutting board.

Lay the pepper on its stem-end and cut around the seeds and core…

Someone cutting a red bell pepper.

…like this:

Someone cutting a red bell pepper.

Chop the slices into a medium dice. (If your blender isn’t very powerful, chop the peppers into even smaller pieces.)

Someone chopping up the red bell pepper pieces into smaller chunks.

Peel the cucumber…

Someone peeling a cucumber skin.

…and reserve a third of it to garnish the finished soup.

Someone cutting a peeled cucumber on a cutting board.

Roughly chop up the rest of the cucumber. Again, if you’ve got a wimpy blender, hack the pieces smaller.

A cucumber is cut into smaller chunks and cut in half.

Next, dump the shallots, cucumber, bell pepper, cilantro, and tomatoes into the blender, and…

Shallots, cucumber, bell pepper, cilantro, and tomatoes in a blender to make watermelon and tomato gazpacho.

Adding the tomatoes into the blender.

…blend until puréed. Make sure to cover the lid with a towel to reduce splashes and splatters.

Blending some of the ingredients for watermelon and tomato gazpacho in a blender.

While the blender is whirring away, cube and de-seed the watermelon.

Cubed watermelon pieces in a measuring cup.

Once the veggies are liquefied…

Vegetables for watermelon and tomato gazpacho blended in a blender.

…add the watermelon, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Adding the watermelon, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper into the blender with the blended vegetables.

Blend until smooth.

Blending all the ingredients for watermelon and tomato gazpacho.

Voilà!

Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho blended in a blender.

Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

A closeup of a spoonful of watermelon and tomato gazpacho.

Refrigerate the soup in the blender cup for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.

Someone putting the blender with watermelon and tomato gazpacho into a fridge to cool.

The ingredients may separate a bit while resting in the fridge, so when you’re ready to serve, stick the soup back on the blender base and blitz it again to re-combine everything. And while you’re at it, dice up the reserved cucumber.

Ladle the gazpacho into chilled cups and top with a drizzle of olive oil, cucumber, and fresh cracked pepper.

Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho in a bowl topped with cucumber pieces and olive oil.

It’s summer in a bowl.


Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).


PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD

Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho

5 from 1 vote
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time4 hours 25 minutes
Servings 8 cups
Chilled gazpacho is one of my favorite simple, make-ahead summertime recipes, especially with the combination of juicy watermelon, cool cucumbers, and crisp red peppers.

Ingredients 
 

  • 2 pounds ripe tomatoes
  • 1 medium red bell pepper
  • 1 hothouse cucumber approximately 1 pound
  • 2 small shallots coarsely chopped
  • 4 cilantro stalks
  • 1 pound cubed watermelon approximately 3 cups
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • cup extra virgin olive oil plus extra for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes optional
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Instructions 

  • Gather the ripest tomatoes you can find and get ready to peel ’em.
  • Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Also, fill a large bowl in the sink with ice water.
  • Cut a small ‘X” on the bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and drop them into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Transfer the tomatoes to the bowl of ice with a slotted spoon. After the tomatoes chill in the bowl for a minute or two, their skins should slide right off.
  • Core each tomato and roughly chop them, reserving all the juice and seeds.
  • Next, grab the bell pepper and cucumber. Remove the stem and seeds from the bell pepper and chop into a medium dice. Peel the cucumber and reserve 1/3 for garnish. Roughly chop up the rest of the cucumber.
  • Next, dump the shallots, cucumber, bell pepper, cilantro, and tomatoes into the blender, and blend until puréed. Make sure to cover the lid with a towel to reduce splashes and splatters.
  • While the blender is whirring away, cube and de-seed the watermelon. 
  • Once the veggies are liquefied, add the watermelon, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.Blend until smooth and adjust seasoning if necessary.
  • Refrigerate the soup in the blender cup for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.
  • The ingredients may separate a bit while resting in the fridge, so when you’re ready to serve, stick the soup back on the blender base and blitz it again to re-combine everything. And while you’re at it, dice up the reserved cucumber.
  • Ladle the gazpacho into chilled cups and top with a drizzle of olive oil, cucumber, and fresh cracked pepper.

Nutrition

Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Fiber: 2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Michelle Tam

Hello! My name is Michelle Tam, and I love to eat. I think about food all the time. It borders on obsession. I’ve always loved the sights and smells of the kitchen. My mother was (and is) an excellent cook, and as a kid, I was her little shadow as she prepared supper each night. From her, I gained a deep, abiding love for magically transforming pantry items into mouth-watering family meals.

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