Watermelon Gazpacho

Ingredients

Gazpacho
½ unit orange habanero pepper, seeded and deveined
240 g fresh, ripe tomatoes
90 g red onion
50 g celery
230 g fresh lime juice
salt, to taste
1,600 g seedless watermelon, using only the red flesh
 
Toppings
1 unit mango, peeled and diced
1 unit red or yellow grapefruit, cut into supremes
extra lime juice (optional)
chopped coriander stems (optional)

YIELD: approximately 2,020 g, six servings +/-

  • One full mug is approximately 305 g.

  • 
A cereal bowl filled to the top is approximately 380 g.

NOTES ON INGREDIENTS:

  • One lime usually produces around 16 to 20 g of juice, depending on its ripeness.

  • When buying the watermelon, allow approximately 10 to 15% extra weight for the rind and trimming.

  • Avoid using an overripe mango as it will disintegrate when cutting.  Tommy mangoes from general supermarkets are best avoided, as they can lack flavour.  Speciality stores such as Natoora sell excellent large mangoes, smaller Alphonso mangoes with fantastic flavour.

    For the grapefruit supremes,  a very sharp knife is essential; this process requires skill. It may be helpful to watch a video demonstrating how to supreme an orange or grapefruit before starting, or just use a grapefruit scooper knife.

  1. In a high-speed blender, add the tomatoes, red onion, celery, lime juice, habanero pepper and salt to a high-speed blender.  Blend until completely smooth, and taste for seasoning, making it a bit salty.

  2. Working in batches, keep only enough of the blended liquid in the blender and reserve the remaining liquid separately.

  3. Add the watermelon and pulse briefly.  The aim is to have some texture.

  4. Transfer the gazpacho into bottles or covered containers and refrigerate for a full day.  This allows the flavours to develop.

  • Keep refrigerated and covered for up to five days.

  • Serve in a bowl or mug, topped with pieces of mango and grapefruit.  Finish with extra drops of lime juice, if desired.