Low Sugar Basil-Pesto Cucumber Gazpacho Shooters
Cool, refreshing, and genuinely stunning to look at, these cucumber gazpacho shooters are the kind of appetizer that makes guests think you spent hours in the kitchen. The base is built entirely from whole, real ingredients — crisp English cucumber, bright lemon juice, a touch of apple cider vinegar, and a whisper of ground ginger — so every sip is clean and naturally vibrant without a drop of added sweetener. That matters more than it sounds, because so many store-bought gazpachos and blended soups quietly sneak in sugar to balance acidity. Here, the balance comes from the ingredients themselves. The pesto swirl — fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, and lemon — gets dragged into a gorgeous green pattern on top of each shooter, turning a simple pour into something that looks almost too pretty to drink. Straining the blended base through a fine-mesh sieve gives the gazpacho a silky, restaurant-quality texture that feels elevated without any extra effort. Serve these straight from the fridge at your next gathering and watch them disappear before you've even set down the tray.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the gazpacho base
- 2 large english cucumbers (about 2 lb total), roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small shallot, roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
For the AIP pesto swirl
- 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For serving
- thin cucumber rounds, for serving (optional)
- fresh basil leaves, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the chopped cucumbers, lemon juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, shallot, garlic, apple cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt, and ground ginger in a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 60 seconds.
- 2
Pour the blended gazpacho through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl, pressing gently with a spatula until only dry pulp remains. Discard the pulp. Taste and adjust salt. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 30 minutes.
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