, photo by Emma Shevtzoff
, nutritional review by Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE
in Recipes, Condiments Tzatziki
Ingredients
- 6 oz. 170 g cucumber, finely chopped
- 1 cup (61⁄3 oz.) 240 ml (180 g) Greek yogurt (4% fat)
- 2 2 garlic clove, mincedgarlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp 1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped or dried mint (optional)
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- ½ tbsp ½ tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Rinse and finely chop the cucumber, or grate it using the coarse side of a grater. The skin adds color and texture to the sauce, but you may want to peel and deseed the cucumber depending on the variety — please see tips below.
- Combine yogurt, cucumber, dill or mint (optional), garlic, and black pepper in a bowl. Add salt to taste. Drizzle with olive oil before serving.
Tips!
If you are using an English cucumber, which is long, has thin skin, and relatively small seeds, then there is no need to peel or deseed it. If you are using a Garden cucumber (as it's commonly known in the US), which is shorter, has thick dark green skin and larger seeds, we recommend peeling it and removing the seeds before grating.
To increase the fat ratio and reduce the amount of carbohydrates in the tzatziki, you can substitute Greek yogurt with (all or part) sour cream or crème fraîche. For dairy-free tzatziki, ditch the yogurt and use mayonnaise instead. If you don't have fresh garlic, go ahead and use minced garlic from a jar or garlic powder. Experiment and see what tastes best!
For thicker tzatziki, place the grated cucumber in a colander or sieve and sprinkle with salt. Combine and let the liquid drain for 5–10 minutes. Wrap cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze out excess liquid.
Tzatziki will keep for about 3 days in the fridge.
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