In 2005 I spent 6 weeks traveling and studying abroad in Greece. It was an amazing experience and I loved so many things about the country – the history, the ancient ruins, the nice people and especially the food! Never before had I had french fries in a gyro – but it was great.
Another dish I came to love was souvlaki. Tender, marinated chunks of grilled pork served with warm pita, a Greek salad and fresh tzatziki sauce was always delicious and a bit different at each restaurant. Everyone seemed to have their own way of making both the meat and the sauce – and now I do, too. My first bite of this tzatziki took me right back to my time in Greece.
While I always love reminiscing of my traveling days, it was my cucumber harvest that actually inspired this dish. That’s a lot of cucumber and while I love salads, I knew I needed to make something else to use these pretty veggies.
The ingredients for tzatziki are very simple: cucumber, lemon, dill, garlic, Greek yogurt, salt and pepper.
Looks can be deceiving though, as this dish still takes some time to make. This is due to the most important step – seeding and salting the cucumbers! If they’re not salted for at least 30 minutes (I waited an hour) and then squeezed to get as much liquid out as possible, your tzatziki will be thin and runny.
After that, this dish is very easy: the seeded, salted and chopped cucumbers go into the food processor with the dill, garlic and lemon juice. Puree.
Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in thick, original-style Greek yogurt. Don’t use regular yogurt – it will end up too runny.
Add salt and pepper to taste and voila – you’ve got an amazing sauce for meats, breads and salads.
We served this tzatziki with souvlaki, grilled vegetables and salad. We used the tzatziki as dressing for the salad – so good!
- 2 cups Greek Yogurt
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 Tbsp salt for salting cucumbers
- 1 Tbsp fresh dill
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Peel cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise and take a small paring knife and cut out the seeds.
- Cut cucumbers into chunks and place in a strainer
- Sprinkle 2 tbsp of salt and let sit for at least 30 minutes (I waited an hour) to release the liquid.
- Squeeze cucumbers with a paper towel to remove additional liquid.
- Add cucumbers, dill, garlic, lemon juice to a food processor and puree.
- Transfer to a medium bowl and add in the Greek yogurt.
- Add salt and pepper to taste - remember, the cucumbers have already been salted so be sure to taste before adding more!
- Let chill in the fridge for an hour or two to let the flavors come together.
- Serve with your favorite grilled meats and veggies, use as a dip for pita bread or as a salad dressing.
- This recipe yields about 3 cups and lasted us for several days with meat and as a salad dressing.