Meatless Monday: Watermelon Gazpacho

Through a recent experiment with classic gazpacho, I learned that I am not into eating tomato-based ones. It kind of feels and tastes like I'm drinking a salad. But, watermelon gazpachos are a different story. I tried making one last summer, and I fell in love. eating s/f's recipe is a refreshing dish for a summer picnic, and it has a rather complex flavor profile. It's sweet, tart, spicy, and all around amazing. I would recommend that you start off with half a jalapeno, and add more to taste. The jalapeno that I was used was particularly spicy, and I ended up having to add more of the other ingredients to tone it down. Also, I still don't have an immersion blender, so I used a food processor instead. If you're using a small food processor and need to blend in batches, I recommend that you keep the mint, pepper, and green onions in separate bowls. It'll be easier to equally disperse the ingredients and taste along the way. Out of laziness, I omitted the garnish, but it does make for a much prettier presentation.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Serves 3-4

3 cups seedless watermelon chunks
1 jalapeno pepper
2-3 stalks of green onion, sliced thinly
1 lime
1/4 cup mint leaves
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Salt and pepper

1. Put the watermelon chunks into a large bowl. Reserve a few chunks for garnish.
2. Zest the lime over the watermelon and squeeze the lime juice into the bowl.
3. Remove the seeds and ribs of the jalapeno. Finely dice 1/2 of the jalapeno and add to the bowl.
4. Add in the green onions (reserve some for garnish), rice vinegar and mint leaves, stirring to combine.
5. Transfer the mixture into a blender , whipping until creamy and smooth. Add more jalapeno to taste.
6. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
7. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Garnish with watermelon chunks, green onion and a few mint leaves.