Best Vegan Tzatziki Recipe - Downshiftology (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan tzatziki made of? ›

How to Make Vegan Tzatziki. It all starts with my 2-Ingredient Coconut Yogurt, which creates the perfect creamy base for this dip. Next comes a finely grated cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper! Last but not least is dill, which adds some much-needed herby flavor – serious swoon!

The biggest contributor to watery tzatziki is the cucumber, which is why it's important to try to remove as much water out of the cucumber as possible. To release the water from the cucumber, de-seed the cucumber then grate it. I suggest using a metal spoon to scoop the seeds out of the cucumber.

Some Greek yogurt brands are very tangy so you may wish to use less lemon juice. Also, some lemons can be very tart. Start with 1/2 a lemon and add more if needed. If your sauce is too tart, you can fix this by adding a little sweetener.

You must Greek yogurt in tzatziki sauce. Greek yogurt is strained yogurt which makes it much thicker and higher in protein than regular yogurt. If you use traditional plain yogurt, your tzatziki sauce will be too runny.

Tzatziki is a creamy cucumber yogurt dip (or sauce) made from simple ingredients including strained yogurt (or Greek yogurt), cucumbers, garlic, and sometimes fresh herbs such as dill or mint. Traditionally, it is made from strained sheep or goat's milk yogurt, but a full-fat Greek yogurt works just fine in this dip.

Yes, tzatziki is considered a healthier dip than hummus and sour cream. It contains several vitamins, a good amount of protein, and fewer carbohydrates and calories. The fat content of tzatziki is low too, which is not the case with other dips.

You can thicken it by placing a piece of cheesecloth over the top of a wide mouthed jar and holding it in place with some rubber bands. Fill the cheesecloth with your sauce, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The excess water will drain out and the sauce will be thicker.

This cucumber sauce is easy to make and full of fresh flavor. You don't need any fancy ingredients to make it, just sour cream, garlic, mustard, and some fresh dill. You can serve it after just one hour in the refrigerator, but overnight is recommended.

Salt – Without this, your tzatziki will taste very bland! I like sea salt but table would work just as well. Dill – You could also use mint but I prefer dill's pickle like flavour. It works so well in creamy dips and sauces!

Preferably swap garlic for finely chopped red onion. Soak the onion in a little water before adding to the mixture. If you have already made the dish, then take out some of the garlicky yogurt (NOT sour cream as suggested in another answer) and replace with more fresh yogurt.

What if I add too much lemon juice to tzatziki sauce? ›

Thankfully, there are a few ways to fix a dish if you have added too much lemon juice. One option is to balance out the acidity by adding a sweetener such as sugar or honey. Another option is to dilute the lemon juice by adding more of the other ingredients in the recipe.

Tzatziki sauce should be kept in a sealed container and stored in the refrigerator when you're not using it. As long as it's stored properly, you can expect homemade tzatziki to last about three to four days. This will depend on how fresh the yogurt was when you made the sauce.

Squeeze the cucumber a little bit to encourage the moisture to drain out. Let drain for at least 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, stir the cucumber into the yogurt, along with the garlic, herbs, lemon, and salt.

While there isn't really a way to entirely avoid the liquid from forming, you can return your yogurt to its original state by simply stirring the whey back in or pouring it off the top. If you choose to remove it, don't throw it out; Conover recommends using it in smoothies, dressings, and soups.

Though it's traditionally made from cow's milk, vegan versions use nondairy plant sources like almonds, soy, coconuts, peas, oats, or cashews. Notably, most vegan yogurts include live active cultures, which are probiotics — or beneficial gut bacteria — that support healthy digestion ( 1 , 2 ).

Alpro Greek Style Oat/Coconut/Soy

The oat Greek yogurt is fortified with pea protein, while the coconut doubles down on the fruit, using coconut milk (45%) and coconut water (20%). Unlike the soy-based version, these two yogurts have no added sugars, while the oat one is the only variant that is not gluten-free.

Tzatziki sauce is typically yogurt-based with flavors such as mint and cucumber. But in this recipe, you will not find any dairy. Instead, I use my four-ingredient homemade mayonnaise recipe as the base and add refreshing lemon, cool mint, and crisp cucumber.