Okay, I admit this is more of a summertime recipe. It’s cooling, refreshing, creamy, and bright…but doesn’t it kinda feel like summer sometimes? With weather bouncing into the high 80s, and then back down again, I found myself craving a fresh and cooling sauce to slather over fresh veggies and pita bread (if that’s your thing). This recipe is packed with healthy probiotics from the yogurt, filled with fresh herbs, which are great in aiding digestion, rich in antioxidants that reduce inflammation, and all around just taste great.
There are so many ways to enjoy this tzatziki sauce. Try it with pita bread, or crackers, fresh or roasted veggies, on a sandwich, with falafels, or with a baked potato, add it to an appetizer platter and watch it disappear. If you would like to bump it up even more, you can try adding some crumbled feta into it, now that sounds heavenly! Mediterranean food is so delicious, and so good for you too. Try this tzatziki sauce, you won’t be disappointed.
Ingredients:
- 1 English Cucumber grated
- 1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt (or to make it vegan, use Organic Creamy Cashew cultured yogurt alternative from Trader Joe’s…Have you tried this stuff? It’s delish! Or another creamy plain yogurt alternative that you like).
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
- 1-3 cloves of crushed garlic depending on your taste
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt to taste, about ½ teaspoon
Here’s how we make this:
Grate your cucumber, and place it in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl, to remove any extra juice. While the cucumber strains, proceed to finely chop up all your fresh herbs. Next place the cucumber on a towel, and try to remove as much moisture as you can, by squeezing it. If you please, drink up the strained cucumber juice in the bowl…it’s refreshing, and good for you. No need to waste!
In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, crushed garlic, chopped fresh herbs, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil (keep the other tablespoon to drizzle on top before you serve it), and salt to taste. It is best if it chills in the fridge for about 1-2 hours before serving—it gets better as the flavors meld together.
Mix it up and drizzle the additional tablespoon of olive oil on top before you serve. To make a bigger bowl, so it lasts longer, just double the recipe like I did. Keep leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
It takes only minutes to whip it up, uses simple healthy ingredients, and tastes creamy, and bright. My family loves it! It pairs well with so many dishes, veggie based, or meat, if you like. Bring a little Mediterranean flavor into your kitchen, and enjoy its simplicity, and ease. Once you start making beautiful healthy sauces, you’ll find that you can’t stop eating healthy veggies. Sounds like a win, to me. Wishing you good health and good luck on all of your cooking adventures.
