Watermelon Gazpacho (with Feta) for One

Say YES to this watermelon soup in the summer, it’s so refreshing – naturally light and sweet-spicy and hydrating – a good way to “eat” your water. The cucumber and watermelon in the recipe are loaded with water (96% water and almost 93% water respectively) which makes it no surprise the pair up are actually botanic siblings.

Refreshing and just for you! Whip up a single-serving batch of this hydrating, delicious cold soup made with watermelon, cucumbers and tomato -- no-cook and ready in minutes.

In addition to staying hydrated on a hot day, I like slurping up a bowl of this cold soup because it doesn’t make me feel bloated and heavy — in fact, it’s detoxing after an indulgent weekend thanks to robust levels of water, fiber, important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Watch this 15-second tutorial!

 I have been on a binge of “recipes for one” lately and have been working behind the scenes on a cooking for one cookbook. Making soup for one, may seem like too much effort, but trust me this simple and speedy recipe is almost no effort at all. And, even with college kids at home this summer, I still like to make this single-serve gazpacho and other recipes for one because I hate food waste, and they are most often always going their separate ways at the dinner area (such social lives)!

Refreshing and just for you! Whip up a single-serving batch of this hydrating, delicious cold soup made with watermelon, cucumbers and tomato -- no-cook and ready in minutes.

Making this cold soup with watermelon is easy-breezy – just gather up the ingredients (a little chopping involved, but it’s not intense), and then drop most everything in the blender (except reserve some extra watermelon that’s be diced up really find to stir into the blended soup for texture). And, top with crumbled feta cheese and extra fresh herbs, if desired.  

BTW, for single-batch recipes like this watermelon gazpacho, I like to use a mini-blender for effective blending. Often in my larger blender, the ingredients don’t rise high enough over the blade level.

Pin this for later!

Fruit soups make a good substitute for dessert when I’m being mindful of my diet.  The recipe makes about 12-ounces and has 219 calories, 15g fat, 19g carb, 3g dietary fiber, and 4g protein. If you want to cut down the fat and calorie count, you can trim down the olive oil from 1 tablespoon to 2 teaspoons and by omit the tablespoon of crumbled feta cheese as the topping.  Together this is about a 60-calorie reduction – it’s still a tasty recipe, however, I think the recipe is more satisfying how originally written.

Detoxing Cranberry Gazpacho makes a lovely light chilled soup for your meal. Blended with healthful ingredients like cranberries, watermelon, cucumber to flush the body of excess water and toxins.

If you love cold fruit soups and watermelon, I think you’ll be berry excited about a past recipe of mine — Cranberry Watermelon Gazpacho.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. I earn a small commission from products purchased, but price to you remains the same. Proceeds help offset operating costs for The Fit Fork. Thank you!

5 from 5 votes
Watermelon Gazpacho! Refreshing and just for you! Whip up a single-serving batch of this hydrating, delicious cold soup made with watermelon, cucumbers and tomato -- no-cook and ready in minutes.
Watermelon Gazpacho (with Feta) for One
Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
 

Refreshing and just for you! Whip up a single-serving batch of this hydrating, delicious cold soup made with watermelon, cucumbers and tomato — no-cook and ready in mintues.

Course: Snack, Soup
Keyword: watermelon
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 219 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 cup chopped cold watermelon reserve ¼ cup
  • 1 5- ounce ripe tomato
  • ½ cup chopped cucumber peeled and seeded
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoons lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro or other fresh herb like mint or basil divided
  • 1 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
  1. Set aside 1/4 cup of watermelon and dice down into small bits (will be stired in at the end).

  2. Add watermelon, tomato, cucumber, olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, red pepper, most of the fresh herbs (save some for garnish), red and black pepper, and pinch of salt to blender. Blend for about 30 seconds or until mostly smooth.

  3. Best served cold, so if you did not start with cold watermelon, chill gazpacho for at least 30 minutes.

  4. Pour into bowl and stir in diced watermelon. Top with crumbled feta cheese and herbs.

Recipe Notes

Cinnamon Churro Watermelon Rind Fries + Ways to Use the Whole Watermelon

This post is sponsored by Watermelon.org. All opinions, comments and enthusiasm remain my own!

Trust me here, Churro Watermelon Rind Fries are a good thing. In fact, this easy watermelon snack recipe is a REALLY, REALLY GOOD THING that tastes yummy, reduces food waste, and can be made in the air fryer in minutes.

Cinnamon Watermelon Rind Fries in Air Fryer Cinnamon

Your mouth is probably hanging open for a couple reasons. The first is you may not have known you can actually (and should) eat watermelon rind. Sadly, watermelon rind is the most tossed away part of the fruit by far. Why not rescue it for a recipe and reduce watermelon food waste?! Just cut off the off the thin green skin layer and then chop, dice, slice, shred or otherwise prep the mild white part of the rind for use in recipes like smoothies, salsas, salads, appetizers and more.

Check out how easy it is to make watermelon rind fries!

You also might be surprised that cinnamon (the primary flavor in Mexican churros, those little fried cinnamon-sugar pastries) is AMAZING on watermelon. Something about the earthy, woody flavors of this warming spice adds something extra to watermelon – and watermelon rinds. Watermelon rinds are mild and play well with a variety of spices. 

Cinnamon Churro Watermelon Rind Fries made in Air Fryer, a healthy snack that uses the whole watermelon. Economical and reduces food waste!
Pin this for later!

What surprised me was how easy these watermelon rind fries were to make in an air fryer with little mess. I simply sliced rinds into French fry-sized pieces and then rolled into cinnamon mixed with a stevia baking blend (you can also use regular table sugar, I’m moderating carbs over here).  After an 8-minute session in my air fryer (flipping once), these tasty morsels came out sweet and delicious with a pleasantly firm and slightly chewy texture – not soggy, or mushy or messy. Delicious served with vanilla yogurt as a dipping sauce!

Check out these other ways to use the whole watermelon – the rind, the juice, the flesh and (if your watermelon has ‘em), seeds.

Use the watermelon rind to make a cheap centerpiece decoration for your summer entertaining.

Watermelon Rind: Rise and “rind,” put chopped up rind in your breakfast smoothies or use in a relish for dinner like watermelon rind kimchi. OR, how about something completely different – use a scooped out half watermelon rind (skin on) as a compostable vase or potting vessel.  After making my watermelon rind fries, I had even MORE scraps of rind, so I got crafty and made a quick centerpiece for a summer pool party – a fish!  Get creative – and check out my pin story <<insert link>> on other food hacks and ways to repurpose the rind!

Watermelon Juice and The Fit Fork
All the watermelon juice in this sports bottle was drained off a large watermelon that was sitting cut-up in my fridge

Watermelon Juice: Comprised of 92% water, watermelons are prolific juice-makers and a smart choice for staying hydrated. There are a couple ways to get juice from your watermelon. The first way is to drain the seeped-out juice from a watermelon – both from the actual cutting up session, to the juice that seeps out overnight. I drain this juice off daily, and also think it helps the watermelon flesh stay fresher in the fridge. A plus of this method is that you get to enjoy all the flesh of the fruit to, but a negative is having to wait for juice to seep out. So, not the best method if you need a lot of watermelon juice at once. Blending up watermelon chunks and straining off the pulp is the second way to get watermelon juice (watch this watermelon juice tutorial) – it’s fast and makes a lot, but you lose the flesh. It’s a super solution to “save” a watermelon that’s become overly ripe. Use juice in smoothies, cocktails, popsicles and other sweet treats. It can also be used as a cooking liquid for quinoa or oats!

Grilled Watermelon Plank with Cherry Balsamic Relish
Grilled Watermelon Plank with Cherry Balsamic Salsa

Watermelon Flesh: Chunks, wedges, balls, fries, balls, diced – there are so many ways to cut up watermelon flesh. Of course, watermelon is delicious unadorned, but it’s also exciting dressed up with simple seasonings. Check out these four ways to season watermelon that will blow your mind. Watermelon is also adds nutrition and sweet yum to every recipe category in existence. Works in sweet OR savory recipes! Watermelon.org has a drool-worthy watermelon recipe collection and I’m pretty proud of my own creations too, like Grilled Watermelon with Cherry Balsamic Salsa, and lots of others — just type “watermelon” in my search bar!

Watermelon seeds on watermelon seed butter toast!

Watermelon Seeds:  Most watermelons these days are the seedless variety. But, if you see those little white unmatured hulls, they are just fine to eat. And, so are the big black seeds for that matter, they are just like any other seed and offer plant protein along with other beneficial nutrients! If you have a bunch of black seeds, toss them with olive oil and a bit of salt before roasting in the oven at 325F for about 20 minutes. Then, crack open the hull and eat the tender seed in the center (like a sunflower seed eating experience) I’ve written and entire post singling about the wonders of watermelon seeds with recipe ideas too, check it out!

5 from 5 votes
Cinnamon Churro Watermelon Rind Fries
Prep Time
7 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

Don't toss away the watermelon rind! Use it to make an easy, nutrition and yummy snack that is also economical and helps prevent food waste.

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Keyword: air fryer, churro, cinnamon, food waste, fruit, pork rind, watermelon
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. watermelon rind
  • ¼ cup sugar or stevia baking blend
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 6- ounce vanilla yogurt carton
Instructions
  1. Use paring knife to slice green skin off rind and discard.
  2. Cut rind into approximate finger-sized portions (like the size of a thicker fry)
  3. In shallow bowl, mix together sweetener and cinnamon.
  4. Roll each piece of rind through mixture, coating all sides a bit.
  5. Place in basket tray of pre-heated (375F) air fryer and air fry for approximately 8-9 minutes, flipping once after about 4 or 5 minutes.

  6. Serve warm vanilla yogurt as dipping sauce.

Have a “Slice” Day! How Watermelon Can Boost Mood

This post is sponsored by Watermelon.org .

I’m so confident that watermelon can boost your mood that I created a wonderful, wacky holiday to celebrate! March 23, 2022 is now “Have a Slice Day” and I’m sure it will ensure that you have a NICE day!

Have a Slice Day - March 23, 2022 A day to celebrate all the nice, mood-boosting things about watermelon.  More info at thefitfork.com

There seems to be a day on the calendar for everything, from National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day (1/31) and National Talk in an Elevator Day (7/29). Here’s a watermelon holiday I celebration every year: National Watermelon Day on August 3rd. But we need more special watermelon celebration days. These “holidays” might seem random and maybe even frivolous to some. However, I think any reason to celebrate life holds a huge benefit for mental wellness. These fun days, like my “Have a Slice” Day, capture your attention and whisk your mind away (even if momentarily) from the stresses of everyday life here on this planet.

When these wacky days are food-related (especially watermelon), well, it’s all even better in my book.  Not only does seeing watermelon instantly pull up multitudes of happy memories in my life, it is also a fruit that can help lift mood.

Watermelon is a happy food! Aside from making great memories and tasting sweet, find out how a serving of watermelon can help boost your mood.
Pin this for later!

WAYS WATERMELON CAN LIFT YOUR MOOD:

senior man father and adult woman daughter enjoying watermelon thefitfork.com

Sharing with Friends: When you share watermelon with a friend or family member, you are not only providing a nutritious snack, but one that will make them smile. An increase in smiling means an increase in mood — at least in my real-life, anecdotal experiences.

A Smart Dessert Option: Who doesn’t love dessert? Eating a serving of watermelon is a smart choice. It’s a whole food that is unrefined, unprocessed and naturally sweet. A two-cup serving has 80 calories, no fat, 2 grams protein and 21 grams of carbohydrate to fuel life.

Improves Hydration: The 92% water content keeps you hydrated, which is essential for mood.

May Lessen Muscle Soreness: I don’t know about you, but I’m a little cranky if I have delayed onset muscle fatigue from exercise. An emerging area of study is exploring how the amino acid L-citrulline in watermelon juice, consumed as a post-workout drink, may help reduce muscle soreness within the following 24 hours. It also has 25% of the DV for vitamin C, which is needed for the repair and growth of all tissues in the body. Being less sore and able to return to the activities I love quickly, definitely lifts my mood!

Fun Workout “Equipment”: Lift your mood my LIFTING watermelon. Yes, my friends, using watermelon as an exercise rate in your workout, is the very essence of functional. Use it for your sweat session, then slice it open to gobble up – workout gear plus rehydration and recovery nutrients all in one delicious, self-contained package!

 Use a smaller watermelon to pump up your heart rate by lifting it above your head during jumping jacks or put it in a canvas tote and swing it around like a kettle bell. Heavier watermelons can be used for exercises like deadlifts, squats, and walking shoulder carries.  Really, workout ideas with watermelon are endless and I’ve shared many fun ways to use it in a fitness routine at thefitfork.com.

Try These Two Watermelon Workouts:

Fit and Fresh Watermelon Workout

Fit and Fresh Watermelon Workout with The Fit Fork, Jennifer Fisher

Watermelon Home Workout

Watermelon Home Workout with The Fit Fork, Jennifer Fisher

Mulled Watermelon Apple Cider Warms Spirits in Holiday Season

This post is sponsored by National Watermelon Promotion Board.

Watermelon warms the soul and spirit in any season! Simmer a pot of Mulled Watermelon Apple Cider for friends and family this holiday season, it’s a hot holiday punch that is naturally sweet and delicious.

This easy-to-make warm punch featuring watermelon juice is naturally sweet and delicious, bejeweled with fruit and fragrant with seasonal spices. Brandy optional! Perfect for holiday entertaining, including brunches, open houses, cocktail parties and more!

Bejeweled with fruit and fragrant with seasonal spices, this easy-to-make hot punch is features watermelon juice. Fresh watermelon juice is available for purchase in the produce department of many larger grocery stores, or make your own by blending cubed watermelon and straining off the pulp. Check out Watermelon.org for a great demo on how to make watermelon juice.

Ingredients for Mulled Watermelon Apple Cider, a hot holiday punch

This warm holiday punch is primarily watermelon juice, an amazing fresh juice that offers vitamin C, lycopene, l-citrulline, and other beneficial nutrients. I also added spiced apple cider and always use the fresh, no-added-sugar, 100% juice cider from the chilled section of my market.

This easy-to-make warm punch featuring watermelon juice is naturally sweet and delicious, bejeweled with fruit and fragrant with seasonal spices. Brandy optional! Perfect for holiday entertaining, including brunches, open houses, cocktail parties and more! Make a big batch in a Dutch oven or keep warm for hours in a slow cooker for your Christmas gathering.
Check out the Pinterest Video Demo at: <<LINK>>  

For a show-stopping presentation (and to make a drink that you can also snack on), add a generous amount of fruit to the pot including diced watermelon, fresh cranberries, pears and apples. Is it a fruit salad, beverage or both? You decide!!!

Spices used in Mulled Watermelon Apple Cider including cinnamon, cloves and star anise.

While simmering on the stove top, add whole spices such as cinnamon sticks, star anise and whole cloves. Watermelon and cinnamon make magic together, you can even just sprinkle a little on a wedge for an instant flavor experience.  Also, allspice, nutmeg and cardamon are additional spices that would work well in this hot watermelon drink, use all mentioned or any combination you prefer! Used frequently in in hot beverages, these warming, aromatic spices are called “mulling spices.”  Add smaller bits, such as cloves and allspice, to a tea ball so that they can be easily strained out before serving. However, keep the whole cinnamon sticks in – they make fun stirrers!

This easy-to-make warm punch featuring watermelon juice is naturally sweet and delicious, bejeweled with fruit and fragrant with seasonal spices. Brandy optional! Perfect for holiday entertaining, including brunches, open houses, cocktail parties and more!

Completely optional, but a nice add-in to this watermelon apple cider is a bit of brandy – it just blends in so nicely with the fruit juices and spices!   

Pro tip: For a lingering brunch gathering or holiday open house, keep the watermelon punch warmed for hours in a slow-cooker set on low.

 For more ways to enjoy watermelon during the holiday season, including more watermelon beverages and pairing suggestions perfect for a grazing tray, visit Watermelon.org .

5 from 2 votes
This easy-to-make warm punch featuring watermelon juice is naturally sweet and delicious, bejeweled with fruit and fragrant with seasonal spices. Brandy optional! Perfect for holiday entertaining, including brunches, open houses, cocktail parties and more!
Mulled Watermelon Apple Cider
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Watermelon is wonderful in every season! Ladle mugs full of this warm watermelon punch that is bejeweled with fruit and steeped with mulling spices like cinnamon and cloves!

Course: Beverage, party
Keyword: christmas, cider, entertaining, punch, spiced, watermelon
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 6 cups fresh 100% watermelon juice
  • 3 cups fresh 100% spiced apple cider
  • Mulling spices of choice* including cinnamon sticks, star anise, whole cloves, grated nutmeg, cardamon
  • 1 cup brandy optional
  • 2 cups diced watermelon
  • 1 small apple sliced crosswise and quartered
  • 1 small pear sliced crosswise and quartered
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
Instructions
  1. In large pot or slow cooker, add watermelon juice and apple cider.
  2. Add mulling spices. Cinnamon sticks and big pieces of star anise can be used whole, but smaller spices should be placed in a tea ball for easy discarding after simmering.
  3. Bring juices to low simmer, for 15 minutes, allowing spices to steep. If using slow cooker, heat on high for 1 hour, then reduce heat to warm for serving.
  4. If desired, add brandy in the last few minutes of cooking. Drink is equally delicious without alcohol, option is yours.
  5. Ladle out and pour into mugs.
Recipe Notes

*During the holiday season, “mulling spice” blends are sometimes available in the bulk or spice aisle of store for convenience

Watermelon Facts & Snacks for Your Active Lifestyle

This post is sponsored by Watermelon.org. However, all content, opinions, and enthusiasm for watermelon remain my own!

Runners, triathletes, hybrid athletes, gym rats, fitness enthusiasts, parents with kids in sports, and everyday active folks who are always on the go – I’m talking to YOU!

Watermelon is more than just the quintessential fruit of summer – it’s a highly functional food that can (and should) be enjoyed all year ‘round in an athletes training diet including those who are striving to optimize their health and wellness though consistent physical activity.

So, why watermelon? What are watermelon health benefits and why is watermelon for runners, athletes and everyone on a fitness journey such a good thing?

different ways to cut watermelon thefitfork.com

Fresh and Economical: Watermelon is a fresh, whole food that doesn’t come processed and wrapped up in consumer packaging. Ounce for ounce, watermelon is also the most economical fruit purchase in the produce department. You can even eat the entire watermelon – flesh, seeds, juice, AND rind! All of these perks a win for your body, budget, and the environment.

Full of Fluid: Watermelon has a water content of 92 percent! This means watermelon is a fast way to hydrate before a run or workout or top off your tank afterward. Compared to some of my other favorite snacks (which all have their own inherent benefits, BTW), watermelon is the winner of nearly holding its own weight in water. For example, a banana is 75 percent water, raisins are just 20 percent water, and most nuts only have a water content of 5 percent water.

Watermelon Facts & Snacks for Your Active Lifestyle - Watermelon is Refreshing Fuel

Functional Fuel: Watermelon is extremely functional when it comes to providing nutrients to support a balanced and active lifestyle. For example, two cups of watermelon (80 calories) offer 21 grams of carbohydrates to help you power through any day, whether running a marathon or just running errands around town. In some circles, carbs get a bad rap, and while I’m not a fan of most highly-processed and refined-sugar carbs, I do rely carbohydrates sourced primarily from fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Endurance athletes need properly-timed carbs to provide sustained energy for the long haul.  

However, if you are not logging massive miles and need less carb energy (or perhaps are on a lower-carb diet for your lifestyle), watermelon REMAINS a fruit that can be enjoyed. Because it’s a big volume fruit (big serving size versus a denser fruit like, say, dates), the carbohydrates are “spread out.” So, many consider watermelon a low-carb fruit, especially when enjoyed mindfully. A small portion of watermelon can even be eaten and still kept compliant with a keto diet! For me, the little bit of natural sugars from watermelon help soothe my sweet tooth and curb cravings.

Watermelon Facts & Snacks for Your Active Lifestyle

Watermelon Electrolytes: Endurance athletes (and everyone, in fact), need electrolytes in their diet to help balance water in the body. Electrolytes are found in body fluids like blood, urine, and tissues and also keep pH level in check, move nutrients into cells, move waste out of cells, keep you from muscle cramping, help your nerves and brain, and ultimately ensure that all bodily systems are operating optimally.

Watermelon Facts & Snacks for Your Active Lifestyle - watermelon has protein in both the seeds AND flesh!

Watermelon Protein: Believe it or not, watermelon is a source of plant protein. YES! There is protein in watermelon, whoohoo! Protein supports an active lifestyle by promoting tissue repair, exercise recovery, injury prevention, immune function and the production of oxygen-carrying red blood cells.

One ounce of sprouted, shelled and dried watermelon seeds contains 10 grams of protein – that’s a nice amount for a post-workout snack! The flesh of watermelon also has a more modest amount, but still more that you’d guess! Two cups of watermelon provide 2 grams of protein and, for a boost, can be paired with other protein-choices like yogurt, cottage cheese, chia seeds, quinoa, seafood, and more.

Better Workout Recovery with Watermelon: Two cups of watermelon also provide between 286mg to 1266mg of L-citrulline, an amino that boosts nitric oxide production in the body. Nitric oxide helps arteries relax and work better, which improves blood flow throughout your body. For athletes, research is suggesting that the juice from watermelon can help to reduce recovery heart rate and muscle soreness in the 24-hour window after exercise.

Watermelon is Simple: Some of my favorite ways to enjoy watermelon in a manner that supports my nutrition goals as a runner and athlete are SO SIMPLE. Eat it plain with salt and lime juice, freeze chunks to use in smoothies, make watermelon seed trail mix, and drink the juice!

I’ve also created and used other watermelon race fuel and watermelon recovery recipes for runners:

Concentrated Electrolyte Ice Cubes for Runners

Warm spiced Watermelon Lemonade for Winter Workout Recovery

Watermelon, Beet and Chia Shot Blocks for Endurance Fuel

And, finally, you can actually WORKOUT WITH WATERMELON – did you see my recent Fit & Fresh Freestyle Watermelon Workout?

For EVERYTHING you ever needed to know about watermelon and MORE, visit Watermelon.org and @watermelonboard on Instagram!