Description
This recipe uses Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, extra virgin olive oil, fresh herbs, and a little lemon zest. It tastes great with pita, vegetables, or grilled meats.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (I recommend 2%)
- 1/2 English cucumber, peeled if desired
- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced or pressed
- 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest (optional)
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint (or parsley or more dill)
Instructions
- Optional Step: Line a medium bowl with a cheesecloth. Pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth and let the excess liquid drain for 2 to 3 hours in the fridge. Discard the excess liquid.
- Use the large holes on a box grater to manually grate the cucumber.
- Spoon the grated cucumber into a cheesecloth, kitchen towel, paper towel, or fine mesh strainer. Squeeze out all the excess liquid from the cucumber directly over the kitchen sink. There will be A LOT of liquid. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the grated cucumber, yogurt, garlic, red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, lemon zest (if using), dill, and mint. Mix until well combined.
- Cover and chill in the fridge until ready to use. It tastes best after chilling for at least 1 hour in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat, give the tzatziki sauce a good stir and drizzle with more extra-virgin olive oil if desired.
Notes
- Nobody likes watery tzatziki. If you want to make your dip super thick, I recommend following the optional step of draining the excess liquid from the Greek yogurt.Â
- There’s no need to peel the cucumber for this recipe, but you can if you prefer.
- Leftovers? Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It’s normal for the dip to separate slightly. Just stir it back together before serving.
- Make it vegan: Use a vegan plain Greek-style yogurt.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Greek