Watermelon Gazpacho was one of my favorite summer finds last year.

It’s crisp, refreshing, easy to make, and full of ingredients that are packed with nutritional value.

This year, though, as I was preparing to entertain, I felt that soup did not go well with the rest of my menu or the way I wanted to the meal to flow. So, in a stroke of inspiration, I converted it to Watermelon No-zpacho. It was a big hit. And, the next day, I pulled out my immersion blender and turned it into Watermelon Gazpacho for a potluck dinner. I think it was a hit both ways!

Watermelon Not Gazpacho (No-zpacho)

Ingredients:

8 cups seedless watermelon, (about 6 pounds with the rind). Cut into about one inch cubes or use a melon baller.
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced.
1 red bell pepper, sliced.
1 jalapeno pepper (seeded and diced—leave in the seeds for extra spice or exclude it if you don’t like spicy).
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil.
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint.
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.
Crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:

3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of one lime

Directions:

Mix everything but the feta and the dressing in a large bowl.
Mix the dressing in a small container and pour over the salad.

Add a sprinkling of feta cheese to each plate before serving or put in a separate bowl for people to serve themselves.

Leftovers?

Use an immersion blender and blend to your desired consistency. Sprinkle feta on top before serving.

Relephant Read:

Crunchy Salt & Vinegar Chickpeas. {Recipe}

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Author: Wendy Kuhn

Editor: Travis May

Image: Flickr/Benjamin Chun