Anti Inflammatory Basil-Pesto Cucumber Gazpacho Shooters
These chilled cucumber shooters are the kind of appetizer that stops a party in its tracks — cool, bright, and impossibly elegant in a tiny glass. The gazpacho base leans on fresh English cucumber, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and a touch of ground ginger, all of which bring serious anti-inflammatory credentials without any effort on your part. Extra-virgin olive oil shows up twice here — once in the gazpacho and again in the dairy-free basil pesto swirl — delivering those good fats that make this recipe genuinely nourishing, not just pretty. The pesto is blended until it's a vivid, almost electric green, and dragging it through the surface of each shooter with a toothpick creates a swirl that looks like it came out of a restaurant kitchen. Everything gets strained until silky smooth, so the texture is clean and refined rather than chunky. Because every single ingredient is whole and plant-based, there's no need to audit a label or worry about hidden inflammatory additives sneaking in. Make the gazpacho and pesto ahead, keep them chilled, and assemble right before guests arrive for a no-stress, show-stopping bite.
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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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