A cold soup, ideal for lazy days and easy entertaining.
Recipe and styling by Illanique van Aswegen
Photograph by Adel Ferreira
Chargrilled watermelon gazpacho with avocado salsa and garlic toast
Ingredients
GARLIC TOAST
- 60g butter, cubed
- 5ml (1 tsp) garlic, finely chopped
- 2,5ml (½ tsp) dried parsley
- 12 thin slices ciabatta
GAZPACHO
- 1kg watermelon slices, rinds removed
- ½ (150g) cucumber, peeled and chopped
- 2 (300g) large tomatoes, chopped
- 1 (100g) red pepper, seeded and chopped
- ½ (80g) red onion, peeled and chopped
- 125ml (½ cup) olive oil
- 30ml (2 tbsp) red wine vinegar
- 30ml (2 tbsp) Worcestershire sauce
- 5ml (1 tsp) salt
- 2,5ml (½ tsp) ground cumin
- 2,5ml (½ tsp) garlic, finely chopped
- pinch freshly ground black pepper
SALSA
- ½ (100g) avocado, peeled and finely chopped
- ⅓ (100g) cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
- ¼ (40g) red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 15ml (1 tbsp) chives, finely chopped
- 5ml (1 tsp) red wine vinegar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- handful fresh basil, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
For the garlic toast, preheat the oven to 180°C. Melt the butter, 5ml (1 tsp) garlic and the dried parsley together in the microwave on high, about 30 seconds. Brush both sides of each ciabatta slice with the flavoured butter and arrange on a baking tray. Bake, 12 – 15 minutes, until crisp and golden.
For the gazpacho, place a griddle pan over high heat until smoking hot. Remove as many seeds from the watermelon slices as possible. Chargrill the watermelon slices, about 1 minute per side, until charred. Add to a food processor with the remaining ingredients and blitz until completely smooth. Refrigerate the gazpacho until needed.
For the salsa, combine all of the ingredients and season to taste.
To serve, spoon the gazpacho into serving dishes and top it off with the salsa. Garnish with the fresh basil and serve with the garlic toast on the side.
Notes
The watermelon can also be chargrilled on the braai.
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
