Watermelon Gazpacho with Calabrian-Chili Crema

Ingredients

• 6 cups watermelon, roughly diced
• 2 medium tomatoes, roughly diced
• 1 medium cucumber, roughly diced
• 1/2 medium red onion, roughly diced
• 1/2 cup toasted almonds
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup crema
• 1 tablespoon chopped Calabrian chilies
• Additional diced vegetables, for garnish, optional

Directions

1. Combine the watermelon, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, almonds, kosher salt, and pepper in a large bowl, tossing everything well. Leave the mixture to sit and marinate for about 1 hour.
2. Purée the vegetables with all of their juices in a blender, doing this in batches, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour the soup into a large bowl, then whisk in the sherry vinegar and olive oil. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
3. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the soup for 2 hours or for up to 3 days. Just before serving, taste once more and adjust with salt and pepper. Stir the crema and chopped Calabrian chilies together in a small bowl, then ladle the cold soup into bowls and finish with the crema mixture and diced vegetables, if using.