Healthy Tzatziki Sauce with Crisp Cucumber and Fresh Dill
By Emma Collins
Prep
10 min
Total
10 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Trimming and draining diced cucumber helps reduce excess liquid in the tzatziki to prevent it from thinning the Greek yogurt. This 10-minute recipe yields a chilled, thick tzatziki dip garnished with lemon juice, minced garlic and dill, and small pieces of cucumber.
Plain Greek yogurt contributes a creamy texture to the dip. English cucumbers contribute a crispy texture and flavor with less water than other cucumbers. Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, garlic, and fresh dill contribute other common dip flavors. Olive oil contributes a fruity flavor. Kosher salt and black pepper contribute other seasonings.
The key visual characteristics of this dish are a creamy, spoonable dip with cucumber pieces evenly suspended throughout. One challenge of preparing this dish is excess moisture from the cucumber, which can make the dip too thin. Steps to prevent these issues include draining and lightly patting salted cucumber before adding it to the dip.
Serve cold tzatziki with pita chips and naan or other fresh vegetables. Other serving ideas include using tzatziki as a salad dressing and topping for chicken, Greek meatballs, wraps, and falafel. Refrigerate tzatziki in an airtight container as directed by the recipe developer. The recipe developer indicates that tzatziki is a good food for meal planning and preparation.
Why this recipe works
- Draining the salted cucumber before adding it to yogurt keeps extra liquid out of the yogurt, producing a thicker dip rather than a thinner dip.
- Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest offer a brighter citrus flavor than fresh lemon juice because both lemon juice and lemon zest are consumed together.
- English cucumbers are easier to dice and have fewer seeds. They add texture to dishes with less liquid than other cucumber varieties.
- Greek yogurt provides flavor and creaminess to the dip without cooking. The other ingredients stay cold, and the dip is ready in 10 minutes.
- Combining all ingredients helps provide equal amounts of garlic, dill, lemon, and pepper with every bite of food.
- Optional olive oil adds a fruity taste to this dish. The no-oil version contains yogurt for a creamy taste. This is an oil-free option.
Ingredients
- •1 cup plain Greek yogurt (nonfat plain Greek yogurt used)
- •½ English cucumber (about 2/3 cup, seeds removed and diced into small pieces)
- •2 tsp olive oil (plus more for topping)
- •3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- •1 tbsp fresh lemon zest
- •1 tbsp minced garlic (about 1 clove)
- •¼ cup fresh chopped dill (plus more for topping)
- •½ tsp kosher salt (plus some for draining the cucumber)
- •¼ tsp ground black pepper (plus more for topping)
Instructions
- 1
Place the diced cucumber in a strainer over a bowl and sprinkle it with some salt.
- 2
Let the cucumber sit for a few minutes to extract excess moisture, then pat it lightly with a clean paper towel.
- 3
Add the Greek yogurt, drained cucumber, and remaining ingredients to a medium-sized bowl.
- 4
Mix until combined into a creamy sauce.
- 5
Top with more fresh dill, ground black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
- 6
Serve cold with pita chips, naan, or fresh chopped vegetables.
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