Rice Free Basil-Pesto Cucumber Gazpacho Shooters
Cool, bright, and impossibly elegant, these cucumber gazpacho shooters are the kind of no-cook appetizer that stops a party in its tracks. Fresh English cucumbers get blended with lemon juice, shallot, garlic, apple cider vinegar, and a whisper of ground ginger, then strained until the result is silky-smooth and deeply refreshing. The real showstopper is the basil pesto swirl — just five ingredients blended into a vivid green ribbon that gets dragged into a gorgeous pattern right on top of each glass. Because everything here is built from whole vegetables, fresh herbs, and good olive oil, there's zero need to scan labels or second-guess whether a grain has snuck into the mix. Straining the blended base is the one step you don't want to skip; it's what gives each shooter that clean, restaurant-quality texture. Serve them in shot glasses straight from the fridge and garnish with a thin cucumber round for a presentation that looks far more difficult than it actually is.
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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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