Smoked Gazpacho has been a longtime favorite of mine, smoking the veggies before making them into this classic chilled soup takes it to a whole new level of flavor.
So what about Watermelon Gazpacho?
Believe it or not, the flavors of watermelon, the crispness of the cucumbers and acidity of the tomatoes blend perfectly together for a savory soup you will be serving yourself second and third bowlfuls. The ease of smoking these on my Green Mountain Grill is part of the appeal- the hardest part of this recipe is chopping the veggies up! The Green Mountain Grill is a pellet smoker that makes smoking and grilling about as easy as it is to turn my stove on! Seriously- I’m not kidding! If you’ve never heard of the Green Mountain Grill or what a Pellet Smoker is, read my full review here.
Serve this at your next brunch or dinner party and people will think you are a clever cook. Plus, watermelons are available almost year-round at the grocery store these days so you are not limited to making this awesome recipe only in the summer! Enjoy!!
Putting all the veggies and watermelon on the grill adds smoke and char- that is the secret ingredient to this recipe! Smoke is what makes this recipe!
Smoked Watermelon Gazpacho
Ingredients
Produce:
- 1/2 large watermelon, sliced in wedges
- 3 large cucumbers, skinned and sliced lengthwise
- 1 lb mini bell peppers
- 2 medium sized shallots
- 5 cloves garlic, put them on a skewer so they don’t fall through the grill grates
- 4 medium beefsteak tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 LARGE bunch of Basil, plus more for garnishEtcetera:
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 heaping tbsp. smoked sea salt (I prefer smoked sea salt if you have it!)
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
Preheat your Green Mountain Grill or your other grill to 350 degrees. While getting your grill heated up, finish slicing your veggies. One your grill is at temperature, put your veggies on. Check your veggies every so often to ensure they are not burning- the garlic and peppers will cook the quickest- don’t let the garlic burn, just put it on long enough to soften and get some smoke. As char marks form, turn the veggies over and let the other side cook. Ideally you are looking for good char marks and the veggies and watermelon to caramelize on the grill. NOTE, the watermelon will not get as charred as the rest of the veggies unless you sliced it extremely thin and that is okay. The inherent nature of this fruit having so much water content takes it longer to get char marks- be patient. As veggies develop the char marks, remove them and let them cool in a big bowl.
Once all veggies have been remove, place them in the largest pot you have and get out your stick blender. Now, go ahead and add your additional ingredients: balsamic, olive oil, water, sea salt and pepper and the the basil leaves. Pulse the content with your immersion blender until it is pureed. Don’t over puree it, you want it to have the consistency of a fine salsa.
Let chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. Garnish with additional basil. Great served with grilled bread as an appetizer, also great for a light lunch. Goat cheese or sliced avocado are also a great addition for garnish!
Enjoy being the creative cook on your block- I promise your friends and family will rave over this recipe!
Notes
Note: This recipe was created in partnership with my friends at Green Mountain Grills.
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what pellets did you use to smoke this?
I believe it was all purpose or cherry wood pellets.