Tzatziki is THE quintessential Greek dip – easy to make, healthy, fresh and delicious. Tzatziki is made simply with yogurt, cucumber, fresh herbs, lemon, garlic and olive oil. The perfect dip for your maze table and an essential sauce for souvlaki and gyros. This delicious recipe is naturally vegetarian and can be easily tweaked to make it vegan.
1-2garlic cloves, minced or grated (or up to 4 if you are a fan!)
1tbspfresh lemon juice, or to taste
2tbspextra virgin olive oil, more to serve
2tspchopped fresh dill
1tspchopped fresh mint
½tspdried oregano
1tspsea salt, or more to taste
freshly grated pepper, to taste
Instructions
Start by peeling your cucumber. Slice in half lengthwise and remove the seeds (this is usually a delectable treat for the dogs). Line a colander with a clean linen towel and grate the cucumber over it using a box grater or a Microplane.
Gather the towel into a bundle and squeeze out the excess moisture. You can use the cucumber juice in a smoothie or a cocktail (try my Cucumber Martini). Empty the drained cucumber into a bowl.
Finely chop the mint and dill and add to the bowl together with the oregano.
Stir the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil. salt and minced garlic. Have a taste and adjust the lemon juice or seasoning as needed.
Garnish your tzatziki dip with a sprinkle of ground pepper, oregano and fresh herbs and serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It keeps for up to two days in a suitable container.
Video
Notes
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN TZATZIKIMake one simple swap and your tzatziki sauce is vegan. Simply replace the Greek yogurt with a Greek-style vegan yogurt equivalent. Look for a thick and creamy plant-based yogurt and adjust the acidity with lemon juice or vinegar.RECIPE NOTES AND TIPSMake sure to squeeze all the moisture out of the grated cucumber otherwise it will make the tzatziki watery and insipid.You can adjust the cucumber to yogurt ratio as you please. I like to use about half a large cucumber (peeled and deseeded) to one cup of yogurt.