spicy cantaloupe gazpacho + corn and peptia salsa

Sometimes the best recipe ideas come from conversations with friends about food. Which are (obviously) some of my favorite conversations. 

For these kinds of conversations where recipe sparks are flying, I use the notepad app on my phone (so basic, i know) and that there is where I keep my mile long list of brainstorms and recipe inspo so I can remember the bits I loved about those conversations. Sometimes, such as when I am traveling, I feel super inspired and more ideas are making their way to that notepad. And other times, I need to look to that notepad for inspiration. 

When I was on my trip with Tabasco this past April .... my food wheels were turning, and lots of recipe ideas made their way to that notepad. Some of which have come to life already (crispy broccoli tacos), and some (like this recipe here) I am just starting to work my way thorough. This recipe came about when having a conversation with one of the lovely PR girls from the trip. We were chatting about a recent event they were at on behalf of Tabasco, about a few of the samples they served, and the unique ingredients they paired the different Tabasco flavors with. Chipotle + chocolate (umm, yum), cantaloupe + their green pepper sauce (wait, stop right there). That sounded so delicious and unique to me ..... I immediately jotted it down in my notepad app and told her I was going to steal that brilliant combo and make gazpacho this summer! She loved the idea too, and here we are. 

There are so many reasons I love gazpacho in the summer, but mostly because you can have a delicious, light, refreshing lunch or appetizer made in a couple of minutes by just throwing a few ingredients into a blender. It also one of those things that only gets better with an extra day or two in the fridge. It turns out, cantaloupe makes a great gazpacho base, and plays well with the savory notes. The green Tabasco is the tangy subtle spice it needs to pull this all together. And of course, I cannot make a soup without adding in extra layeres of texture and flavor. This corn and pumpkin seed salsa is a great summer soup topper, that also happens to double as a delicious dip for chips, which you can much on the side while enjoing this refreshing summer soup. 

**This post is sponsored by TABASCO, in conjunction with the #TABACSOtastemakers trip. All thoughts are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands who support WCGL! 

spicy cantaloupe gazpacho + corn and pepita salsa 

MAKES
2 large or 4 small servings

INGREDIENTS

for the gazpacho:
1 large cantaloupe, seeded and scooped out
1/2 cup of filtered water
2 tablespoons of shallots, minced
5 mint leaves
1 tablespoon of green pepper Tabasco (plus a couple extra dashes for topping the soup)
1 teaspoon of kosher salt

for the corn salsa:
2 large ears of corn
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons of pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
4-5 mint leaves
a pinch of salt
the juice of 1/2 a lime

METHOD

Boil the corn, and make the salsa:

• Add the corn to a medium sized pot, fill with water, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes once it comes to a boil, and remove the corn from the water and set aside until it's cool enough to handle. 
• Remove the kernels from the cob by dragging a knife down the sides of the cob. Place the kernels into a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients for the salsa to the bowl of corn, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust any seasoning necessary. 

Make the gazpacho + assemble + serve:

• Place all of the ingredients for the gazpacho into a high-powered blender (such as a vitamix). Blend on high until everything is pureed. Taste and adjust any seasoning necessary. 
• Distribute the soup amongst a couple of bowls, top each with a spoonful of corn, and finish with a couple of extra dashes of Tabasco (if you like). Serve cold or at room temperature. Will keep in an air-tigh container in the fridge for a couple of days, and the flavors will continue to develop.