Pistachio Free Basil-Pesto Cucumber Gazpacho Shooters
Cold, bright, and almost impossibly refreshing, these cucumber gazpacho shooters are the kind of appetizer that stops a party in its tracks. The base is silky-smooth English cucumber blended with fresh lemon juice, a touch of apple cider vinegar, shallot, garlic, and a whisper of ground ginger — then strained until it's perfectly clean and light. The real showstopper is the basil pesto swirl on top, made with nothing but fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, lemon, and salt, so it stays vivid green and herbaceous without any nuts in the mix at all. Traditional pesto almost always calls for pine nuts or pistachios, but this version skips them entirely and still delivers that punchy, aromatic hit you want. A quick drag of a toothpick through the swirl turns each little shooter into something that looks genuinely elegant with almost zero effort. Serve them straight from the fridge in shot glasses for a no-cook, crowd-pleasing bite that tastes like summer in a single sip.
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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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