Walnut Free 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 in a blender with fresh cucumber, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, and a hint of ground ginger, then gets strained to a silky, restaurant-worthy finish. The real showstopper is the basil pesto swirl dragged across the top of each glass — just olive oil, fresh basil, garlic, and lemon, blended until vivid green and glossy. Traditional pesto recipes often call for pine nuts or walnuts, but this version skips the nuts entirely without sacrificing any of that herbaceous punch. Every single ingredient here is whole and straightforward, so there's no label-reading stress or cross-contamination worry to navigate. Serve them in shot glasses with a thin cucumber round balanced on the rim and you've got a no-cook, no-fuss bite that looks like it came from a catering team. Make the gazpacho ahead, keep the pesto ready in a small bowl, and swirl to order right before 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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