Tzatziki Sauce

This sauce takes me back to when I traveled to New York as a kid and enjoyed Gyros on the street and we would always say “extra white sauce please”. New York street food was everything I looked forward to when I was there. And the shopping of course. But the street food… incredible. The smell of the food cooking would lure you to their carts and I swear they would get the grill going to purposely blow whiffs of food into the air. A little like those old school cartoons where someone would leave a pie by the window to cool and the steam would seduce you over. (No? no one?)

And for some time I haven’t thought about Gyros or this Tzatziki sauce until a few years ago, on a whim, I wanted these immediately. The Tzatziki sauce had to be just right. It took about 4 times then it was perfect. Now it is in regular rotation on the dinner table dressing our gyros in fine style.

TZATZIKI SAUCE

Greek Tzatziki is usually served as an appetizer along with bread or zucchini for dipping. It is made with yogurt, cucumber, and herbs. Let’s look a little closer at the ingredients:

Ingredients and Substitutions:

Yogurt – I use a greek style yogurt and I like something that is not too tangy. Make sure you are using whole milk yogurt and not low-fat or nonfat.

Cucumbers – I use the regular cucumbers you find at the store for this but if you are not a fan of the mushy center and all the seeds then you can opt for an English cucumber. I am pretty good at picking younger cucumbers that are not as seedy but if you are worried the just go for the English cucumber. Look for one that is nice and firm. Also whether you peel your cucumber or not is completely up to you. If you like some skin then you can peel it partially. Make sure to squeeze out any excess water because we don’t want it to secrete that water into the dip over time.

Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice – While most recipes don’t call for lemon zest, I love how it brightens up the whole dish and complements the lemon juice. You don’t need much but it will make all the difference.

Olive Oil, Garlic, Dill, Mint, Salt & Pepper – These will season everything up so feel free to add more or less of anything to your taste. I like to add loads of garlic but if you don’t like garlic you can wap it out for finely chopped shallots. You can also add other herbs like thyme and parsley.

This sauce is perfect for dipping bread or fresh vegetables, drizzling on meat, or spreading on sandwiches. Hope you give this one a try.

Print Recipe

Tzatziki Sauce

Cuisine: Mediterranean Courses: Appetizer, Dressings and Sauces

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 10 min Total Time 10 mins Servings: 6 Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Description

Fresh ingredients come together for an amazing Greek dressing that is perfect for dipping, spreading or drizzling on almost anything. This classic Greek sauce whips up in no time and goes with almost anything.

Ingredients

Servings

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup grated cucumbers
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon pureed/grated garlic
• 1/4 fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Place cucumber in a towel and squeeze out some of the excess water.

2. In a bowl, combine cucumbers, yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, dill, garlic, salt, and pepper. Also, mint if you are using it.

3. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note

• You can refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to 2-3 days.
• Salt, pepper, garlic, and dill can be adjusted to your liking.
• Be sure to use a whole milk yogurt