Nitrate & Nitrite Free Watermelon Gazpacho with Mint
Sweet, cooling, and just a little spicy, this chilled soup is summer in a bowl — the kind of dish that makes you wonder why you ever turned on the stove. Ripe watermelon and fresh tomatoes form the base, blended smooth with cucumber, red bell pepper, jalapeño, and a generous handful of mint before being strained to a silky, vibrant finish. A hit of fresh lime juice and a drizzle of good olive oil pull everything together into something that tastes far more sophisticated than the effort involved. For anyone navigating a nitrate- and nitrite-free lifestyle, this recipe is naturally in the clear — every ingredient is a whole, fresh fruit or vegetable with zero cured or processed components to second-guess. No deli meats, no packaged broths, no label-reading required. The garnish of extra mint leaves, fresh watermelon cubes, and flaky sea salt makes for a stunning presentation that's just as impressive at a dinner party as it is for a quiet lunch on a hot afternoon.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 5 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes (about ½ small watermelon)
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes (about 12 oz total), cored and roughly chopped
- 1 medium english cucumber (about 10 oz), peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
- 1 small shallot, roughly chopped
- 1 small jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed, plus more for garnish
- ¾ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For serving
- small watermelon cubes, for serving (optional)
- flaky sea salt, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the watermelon, tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, shallot, jalapeño, lime juice, olive oil, mint leaves, salt, and black pepper in a blender. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, about 60 seconds.
- 2
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour the blended soup through it, pressing gently with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids left in the strainer.
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