Tomato and Watermelon Gazpacho

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar 
• 1  cucumber peeled seeded chopped
• 6 servings kosher salt and pepper freshly ground
• 0.3 cup basil and mint loosely packed for topping
• 0.3 cup olive oil extra-virgin plus more for drizzling
• 1 medium shallots sliced
• 4 medium tomatoes chopped
• 4 cups watermelon diced seedless
• 1  bell pepper yellow chopped

Equipment

• bowl
• sieve
• blender

Directions

1. Place the tomatoes, watermelon, cucumber, bell pepper, shallot, basil and mint in a large bowl. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste. Stir in the olive oil and vinegar.
2. Puree the tomato mixture in a blender, in batches if necessary. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing to extract any liquid; discard the solids and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
3. To serve, top the soup with the small herb leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.
4. Photograph by Con Poulos