Creamy cucumber tzatziki is one of the most versatile dips you can make! At the very least, serve it with some carrots, bell peppers, and other fresh veggies of your choice, but you can use it in many more ways with everything from the obvious gyros to pan-seared salmon, lamb rack, all sorts of kebabs including vegetable skewers, or even to top your baked potato! I love adding it to dinner bowls with meatballs and a salad!
The beauty of this recipe is I use GREEK YOGURT as the base in order to enhance the protein! Not to worry if you are not a fan of Greek Yogurt! You will not taste the yogurt one bit!
One cup of this serves as 25 grams of protein and all the essential fat needed in one well-rounded meal! Simply add some veggies or 150 calories of pita chips and you have yourself a MiniMeal !
Ingredients:
¾ English cucumber, partially peeled (striped) and sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled, finely grated, or minced (use 1 to 2 garlic cloves, for less kick)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon fresh dill (this is optional)
Directions:
Use a box grater to manually grate the cucumbers or you can use a small food processor to finely chop the cucumbers as I do in this recipe. Toss the grated cucumbers with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Spoon the grated cucumber into a cheesecloth, strainer, or a double thickness napkin and squeeze dry. (There will be a lot of liquid).
In one large mixing bowl, place the garlic with remaining ½ teaspoon salt, white vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. Mix to combine.
Add the grated cucumber to the bowl with the garlic mixture. Stir in the yogurt, and a pinch of white or black pepper, and the fresh herbs (if using). Stir to combine well.
Cover and refrigerate for a bit (anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple hours before serving). This will help thicken the sauce and give it the best texture, while allowing the flavors to meld.
When ready to serve, stir the tzatziki sauce to refresh and transfer to serving bowl, drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil, if you like. Serve with your favorite veggies, pita chips or wedges (be sure to read the post for more ideas on how to use this sauce)!
Here is a picture of my beautiful mom who my kids call YIAYIA which means GRANDMA in Greek! This recipe comes from YIAYIA's KITCHEN ❤️
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