Paleo Basil-Pesto Cucumber Gazpacho Shooters
These chilled cucumber shooters are the kind of appetizer that stops a party in its tracks — cool, bright, and almost too pretty to drink. The gazpacho base comes together entirely in a blender, leaning on English cucumber, fresh lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, shallot, and a whisper of ground ginger for a flavor that's clean and surprisingly complex. Straining the blended mixture gives each shooter a silky, restaurant-quality texture that feels far more impressive than the effort involved. The basil pesto swirl — made with just basil, olive oil, garlic, and lemon — is completely dairy-free and nut-free, which means it fits naturally into a grain-free, whole-food approach without any substitutions or workarounds. Dragging a toothpick through the pesto creates that gorgeous swirl pattern on top, turning a simple pour into something that looks genuinely elegant. Everything here is real food: no cheese, no grains, no legumes, just fresh produce and good olive oil doing all the heavy lifting. Make the gazpacho ahead, keep the pesto ready in a small bowl, and assembly takes only minutes when guests arrive.
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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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