The grass is green, the trees are blossoming (finally!) and I think that’s cause for celebration! If you’re looking to treat your taste buds to something refreshing after what was quite possibly the longest winter in Canadian history, embrace spring’s bountiful produce with my Spiced Strawberry Watermelon Gazpacho. This pretty, pink (yep, still riding that Spring 2017 Pantone Fashion Color Report wave), chilled soup is the perfect menu addition for your next spring soirée, baby or bridal shower, or anytime you’re hosting your girlfriends and want something fuss free, fresh and festive!
My Spiced Strawberry Watermelon Gazpacho is so simple, I almost can’t call it a recipe — but I’ve been meaning to publish this one since last summer! I popped over to Blushlane (a new organic market that just opened in my neighbourhood) on Friday and was so inspired by the beautiful strawberries, basil (I picked up a gorgeous basil plant… let’s hope I don’t kill it!) and mini watermelon that I knew I had to channel them into this recipe. With just 10 ingredients (seasonings and garnish included!) this fruity spin on traditional gazpacho comes together in just 10 minutes! So grab a delicious glass of rosé (I’m enjoying a Spanish Rioja!) and kick back with me tonight for the details on this modern, seasonal spin on a classic Spanish dish while I catch you up on a few cool things that have been happening the scenes lately — I can’t share a lot right now, but if you followed along with my Insta Stories last week, you may have an idea!
SPICED STRAWBERRY WATERMELON GAZPACHO
Oh man, you guys! There’s been so much happening behind the scenes here lately. Late last week a very exciting opportunity trickled into my inbox (it seemed too good to be true at first, but thankfully it turned out that wasn’t the case!). I can’t say too much at this point, but it involved me executing an extremely last minute video where I had to introduce myself, what I do, and cook something — on a very short timeline (I’m talking 2 days)! To say it was a complete departure from my usual, very polished, calculated content and work would be a huge understatement. I’ve never made (or edited) a video and and am not set up to make professional videos in any capacity (I’ve been waiting on my camera upgrade to tackle video this year) — so I whipped out my iPhone and we filmed a 4 minute video in 15 minutes. I spent about 20 minutes cutting it together in iMovie and sent it in — no time for second takes or second guesses. It was a whirlwind!
It also involved me digging an unpublished recipe out of my archives that I knew I could successfully execute with my healing finger (which still has to be covered when I’m working with food). Of course, my Spiced Strawberry Watermelon Gazpacho came to mind immediately! Like I mentioned, I’ve been meaning to publish the recipe since last summer and hadn’t tested it since. So, 1 hour before filming on Friday I popped out to grab the ingredients, tested this recipe 3 times to make sure it was just right — and then I went for it! The process was exhilarating and a very welcome change or pace from my regular routine. I’m not sure what will come of it and I don’t plan on publishing the video (at least for now) — but I’ll definitely be sharing any exciting developments! Either way, it was nice to be pushed outside my comfort zone, embrace a new opportunity with reckless abandon, challenge myself creatively and whet my appetite for video. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing — but it was a lot of fun!
That being said, I didn’t plan to publish this recipe today. But, since I perfected it on Friday and had ample gazpacho kicking around after my impromptu video, I thought I should make the most of it! So, I photographed this dish on Saturday and here we are. I’ve been eating my Spiced Strawberry Watermelon Gazpacho for lunch almost every day since and I have it say — it’s absolutely delish!
So let’s get to the real reason you’re here, shall we? I’m thrilled to finally be sharing the recipe for my Spiced Strawberry Watermelon Gazpacho! If you’re not familiar with gazpacho, it’s basically a cold soup that originated in Spain and is widely eaten in Spanish countries during this time of year due to its refreshing qualities. Gazpacho has always been a springtime favourite of mine! Traditionally, it’s made with cucumber, tomatoes and garlic — but I’m sure by now you know I don’t like to do things very traditionally around here!
Today I’m infusing this classic Spanish dish with a contemporary, springtime flair and fresh, fruity flavours. I love gazpacho for lunch, with dinner — and honestly, sometimes even for breakfast (it’s definitely the sassy, Spanish cousin of the smoothie bowl in my mind)! If you have a blender, 10 minutes and some awesome fresh ingredients, you can make it too. This powerhouse gazpacho is packed full of incredible health benefits, nutrients, antioxidants and anti aging ingredients — it’s true beauty food. Not only is it easy on the eyes and kind to the body, it contains a medley of detoxifying, superfood fruits and vegetables along with and a healthy dose of hydration to help you look and feel your best this summer.
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 4 servings (or approximately 4 cups)
GAZPACHO
• 4 cups watermelon
• 2 cups organic strawberries
• 1 cucumber (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
• Juice from 1 lime
• 1 tsp jalapeño pepper
• 1/8 cup full fat coconut milk
• 1 tsp strawberry white balsamic vinegar
• 4 turns Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
GARNISH
• Drizzle of fruity extra virgin olive oil
• Squeeze of lime juice
• 1 turn of freshly cracked black peppercorns
• Fresh basil leaves
Optional: strawberry slices, cucumber slices, edible flowers, etc!
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Start with chilled produce. Chop all mince ingredients for the Spiced Strawberry Watermelon Gazpacho and add to your Vitamix (or similar).
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Pour into bowl and serve chilled (if you didn’t start with chilled produce, pop the covered gazpacho into the fridge to chill for for 30 minutes).
4. Garnish with a drizzle of fruity extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lime juice, 1 turn of freshly cracked black peppercorns and fresh basil leaves.
5. Enjoy immediately!
- 4 cups watermelon
- 2 cups organic strawberries
- 1 cucumber approximately 1 1/2 cups
- Juice from 1 lime
- 1 tsp jalapeño pepper
- 1/8 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 tsp strawberry white balsamic vinegar
- 4 turns Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
- Drizzle of fruity extra virgin olive oil
- Squeeze of lime juice
- 1 turn of freshly cracked black peppercorns
- Fresh basil leaves
- Optional: strawberry slices cucumber slices, edible flowers, etc!
-
Start with chilled produce. Chop all mince ingredients for the Spiced Strawberry Watermelon Gazpacho and add to your Vitamix (or similar).
-
Blend until smooth.
-
Pour into bowl and serve chilled (if you didn’t start with chilled produce, pop the covered gazpacho into the fridge to chill for for 30 minutes).
-
Garnish with a drizzle of fruity extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lime juice, 1 turn of freshly cracked black peppercorns and fresh basil leaves.
-
Enjoy immediately!
STILL HUNGRY? MORE SIMPLE, SPRINGTIME RECIPES
Roasted Purple Cauliflower with Red Pepper Romesco
Pantone Inspired Banana Walnut Green Smoothie Bowls
Rainbow Carrot and Yellow Pepper Soup
Dragon Fruit Bubble Tea Smoothie
SHOP THE POST
What are some of your favourite foods to eat during this time of year? Gazpacho is always high on my list as soon as spring hits — but I’m really up for anything that makes the most of seasonal ingredients and doesn’t require too much time in the kitchen. If you try my Spiced Strawberry Watermelon Gazpacho, please let me know how you liked it by leaving me a comment below, or tagging me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. You can use the hashtag #justinecelinarecipes in your recreations so I can find them — it’s so much fun seeing what you guys make! I also have a Pinterest board for my recipes if you care to follow along.
I hope you all had a lovely weekend and happy belated Mother’s Day to all you mamas out there. Yesterday I headed to the mountains today with my Mom for a chocolate tasting and wine pairing — it was a lovely day and I’m excited to share some highlights later this week!
Thank you to the Food Bloggers of Canada for featuring this recipe in their 33 Strawberry Recipes roundup.
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored, and contains my genuine thoughts, ideas and recommendations. JustineCelina uses affiliate and referral links, which allow me to receive a small commission when you make a purchase through one of my links. Thank you for supporting the brands and businesses that support JustineCelina!
20 Comments
I love your style! So creative and fearless which is refreshing! And this soup looks really inspired and intrigues me a lot, love the spicy-sweet contrast here. Going to try it out soon!
Aww! Thank you for such a sweet comment, Marie-Pierre! It’s just what I needed to read this afternoon. 🙂 I try to keep things interesting around here and push myself creatively — but I would definitely not describe myself as fearless (the way others see us versus the way we see ourselves is always interesting!). If you do give the gazpacho a spin, let me know how it goes — I know you’re a big fan of Spanish inspired cuisine!
I hope this exciting opportunity is you having your own show, or (finally!) your own magazine girl! Haha. Whatever it is, I can’t wait to hear about it, and best of luck! I’m confident you will SLAY <3
This recipe is beautiful, inside and out. The aesthetic, the flavors, the process… just fab. Last summer was the first time I'd ever had a gazpacho before and I was surprised with how much I actually enjoyed it (I've always been more of a hot soup kind of gal). I'm definitely down to try this! Strawberries and hot peppers go swimmingly together — add to that some basil and lime and it's just a bowl of pure genius.
I'm so excited for you, Justine! xo
Haha, thanks so much girl! It was an interesting couple of days. 😛 If you do try the gazpacho I’d love your feedback! It’s not something I eat often, but I’m going to change that this summer. Can’t wait to pop over to KT to oogle your latest eats. Hope you had a great weekend!
This is so pretty! I feel like I repeat myself a lot when I visit your blog, but it’s true! This is definitely summer on a plate, love all the gorgeous colours, and it sounds refreshingly amazing! Nicely done!
Thank you, Gabby! And likewise. 🙂 It is incredibly refreshing — I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
I don’t think I’m going to surprise you (or anyone) when I say this, but that is one pretty soup. I’m a big fan of fruit-based soups, and fruit in savoury cooking in general, and I really like what you’ve done here. I was on-board with the strawberry and watermelon right off the bat, but I like the other ingredients you’ve brought in to round this whole thing out too. The jalapeno for a bit of vegetal heat, the coconut milk for that creamy and distinctive kick, the lime, and the double-down-strawberry flavour from the balsamic vinegar – yowza! I don’t blame you for making this your primary meal all week. Can’t wait to find out more about the video and the opportunity that came your way! Cheers!
Thanks so much for the kudos Sean — it’s always high praise coming from you! I’m all about that sweet and spicy balance and the hint of coconut milk works so well to mellow and balance things out. Hope you’re enjoying the long weekend! Cheers!
What a gorgeous colour! I can’t wait to hear more about your new project (I’m considering sending an email, ha) and I’m sure it’ll be wonderful! My favourite food right now is rhubarb everything, but strawberries are almost here and then there’s too much to choose from!
Rhubarb is so tasty, too! My grandma has a huge rhubarb patch in her garden and it always reminds me of her. 🙂 I have a strawberry rhubarb muffin recipe lurking somewhere in my archives, but haven’t really played around with it lately! Thanks for the sweet comment and for stopping by Alexandra — I’ve been thinking about you lately! Your big day must be quickly approaching. Wishing you and your future hubby many years of happiness!
Oh, and feel free to hit me up with your questions! 😉
Very exciting times and best of luck! I did something similar about 2 months ago and you’re right, it’s such a great opportunity that pushes you outside your comfort zone!
I love fruit soups and stews. My uncle makes a delicious Mennonite Fruit Stew and it’s to die for. This looks amazing and I’ve added it to my list of things to try!
Thank you so much, Nicole! I’m SO interested in your uncle’s Mennonite Fruit Stew! Have you ever recreated / published the recipe? If so, please point me in the right direction! Cheers to new experiences!
I love your photography style with all the bold colors! The pictures are all so beautiful.
Thank you Nicole — what a sweet comment! I’m really inspired by colour. 🙂 Looking forward to checking your blog out, it’s always so nice to see a new face around here!
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