Tzatziki – a tangy, garlicky, zesty Greek dip that’s great with almost anything! It is super easy to make and once you make it you will never buy the one from the store.
Tzatziki is a Greek cucumber and yogurt sauce. This Mediterranean sauce/dip here in North America is extremely popular. You can find it in every grocery store, on almost every restaurant menu and not to mention in every Greek restaurant.
Over the years, when I used to leave In Bulgaria, I have tried so many variations of this dish. We have our own version in Bulgaria and it’s super delicious. When I went to Greece a couple of years back I had the chance to try the real deal. Let me tell you something, it is super delicious. The difference comes from the yogurt. The real yogurt in Bulgaria and Greece is tangy, delicious and have a sour taste which makes it perfect for dishes like the tzatziki sauce.
I grew up eating this sauce and I put it on almost everything today. It contains a few of my favorite things – cucumbers, yogurt and dill.
Over the years I have been trying to perfect this sauce, and I believe that the one, I will share with you today, is the best.
To make it extra creamy and tangy I use Bulgarian yogurt – the real deal. You can also make your own home made yogurt and achieve similar results.
Also, a have a trick under my sleeve when it comes to make this dip. I like to strain the yogurt with cheesecloth removing most of its whey, resulting in a thicker consistency than the normal unstrained yogurt while still preserving the distinctive sour taste of the yogurt.
Most of the recipes you will find on the internet advice to grate the cucumber and squeeze out the excess water. Well, I don’t do that. I simply cut the cucumbers into small pieces and that way you can still feel them in the sauce.
Use a lot of fresh dill and garlic and mint and oregano as optional spices.
You can serve the tzatziki sauce with:
Pita bread, Kalamata olives, pita chips, veggies (raw or grilled) , gyros , grilled meats, souvlaki , crackers and so much more. The choice is yours.
You Need:
| Bulgarian Yogurt 3 cups | |||||
| English Cucumber 1 | |||||
| Garlic Cloves 2 | |||||
| Fresh Chopped Dill 2 tbsp. | |||||
| Olive Oil 1 -2 tbsp. | |||||
| Fresh Lemon Juice 1 tsp. | |||||
| Salt to taste |
Instructions:
Use a cheesecloth to straining the yogurt ( it is totally optional, but trust me it’s much better). Cut the cucumbers into a small cubes, and minced the garlic.
Add the Greek yogurt to a bowl and stir in the cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, salt , and the optional add-ins such as oregano and mint. I am rather generous with the salt here, but you can make it to your own taste.
Let it sit for at least 10 minutes, or up to a few hours so the flavors mix and intensify.
Serve with olive oil drizzled over the top.
Enjoy!
Equipment you may find useful!