Browse All Recipes

Chilled melon gazpacho with young basil leaves, speck and croûtons

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for chilled melon gazpacho with young basil leaves, speck and croûtons.

By Lisa Featherby
  • 30 mins preparation
  • 10 mins cooking plus soaking, chilling
  • Serves 6
  • Print
    Print
Chilled melon gazpacho with young basil leaves, speck and croûtons
You can make this soup two days ahead to have on hand as a light mid-week supper, or for last-minute entertaining. You’ll need to begin it a day ahead.

Ingredients

  • 800 gm ripe vine-ripened tomatoes (about 7), coarsely chopped
  • 650 gm watermelon, coarsely chopped
  • 1 telegraph cucumber, peeled, halved lengthways, seeds removed, coarsely chopped
  • 1 small Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
  • 80 ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve (1/3 cup)
  • 1½ tbsp Sherry vinegar
  • ½ garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 350 gm crustless sourdough bread, cut into croûton-sized pieces
  • 100 ml clarified butter
  • 170 gm piece of speck, diced
  • To serve: small basil leaves

Method

Main
  • 1
    Combine tomato, watermelon, cucumber, onion, extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, garlic and 100gm sourdough in a bowl and refrigerate until bread is soft (1 hour). Transfer, in batches, to a blender and blend until very smooth. Strain through a coarse sieve into a plastic container, season to taste and refrigerate for flavours to develop (overnight).
  • 2
    Heat clarified butter in a frying pan over medium heat, add remaining sourdough and stir occasionally until golden and crisp (3-5 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on absorbent paper to drain.
  • 3
    Add speck to pan and stir occasionally until crisp and golden (3-5 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on absorbent paper to drain.
  • 4
    Divide chilled soup among chilled serving bowls, scatter with croûtons, speck and basil leaves, add a few drops of extra oil and serve.

Notes

This recipe is from the February 2013 issue of .

SHAREPIN
  • undefined: Lisa Featherby