Tzatziki: a yogurt sauce, is excellent as a side dish for many summer dishes: none excluded. Its freshness makes it irresistible, because it is also delicious on toasted bread for a quick snack: I must admit that in summer I make it very often. It is a really simple recipe, which is prepared in no time and only requires a 2-hour rest in the refrigerator. The yogurt used is Greek yogurt, because being thicker, it gives the right creaminess to this dip. However, if you have a supply of whole yogurt at home, you can also use that, transforming it into Greek yogurt. How do you do it? Read my article: Spreadable yogurt cream. With this same process, I replaced all the spreadable cheeses for my recipes because I find it not only tastier but also healthier.
If you like yogurt, then don’t miss the next recipes:
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cucumber
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1 tbsp and a half of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp and a half of white wine vinegar
- 1 sprig fresh mint (optional)
- to taste salt and pepper
Tools
- 1 Blender
- 1 Grater
- 1 Plastic wrap
Steps
Wash the cucumber thoroughly, because we need to use the skin as well. Grate it coarsely, place it in a bowl with a pinch of salt, and let it sit for about ten minutes. This way, the salt will help it lose liquids. Once ready, squeeze it well, a little at a time.
Place it inside a blender, along with the garlic clove and a pinch of salt.
Next, add the extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, and sprinkle generously with freshly ground black pepper.
At this point, if desired, you can add mint leaves. Add half of the Greek yogurt, cover, and blend everything finely.
Pour the mixture into the bowl with the remaining yogurt and mix all the ingredients well. If at this point, the mixture turns out too liquid, don’t think that the recipe has failed. You can thicken it by placing everything in a sieve over a container to allow it to drip. Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for a few hours. In any case, let the cream rest in the fridge for at least two hours.
Before serving the sauce, place it in a small bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Grind some more pepper and decorate with a sprig of fresh mint.
Now we just need to serve our Tzatziki: a yogurt sauce, right from the refrigerator.
Tips and Storage
Tzatziki sauce keeps perfectly for a few days in the refrigerator, but inside an airtight container.
I recommend using only glass or ceramic containers because plastic continuously releases toxic substances that are absorbed by the food.
Some people put dill in Tzatziki instead of mint, or even nothing at all. I find mint works wonderfully, but the choice is really personal.
