I admit it. I am a tzatziki snob. I can’t help it. Once you’ve had really good tzatziki, and it totally makes your meal perfect – settling for sub par just makes you sad.
I will eat good tzatziki multiple ways:
- On souvlaki (pork, chicken or lamb) and gyro
- Mixed into a big serving of rice – this is pure comfort food for me
- Slathered onto toasted pita bread
- As a dip for thin pretzel chips (don’t knock it til you’ve tried it)
- With a spoon 😊
So, I believe, I’ve perfected (at least for my taste) tzatziki and I am willing to share the recipe with you dear reader so that you may join me in the land of tzatziki snobs 😊
Recipe:
- 1 cup PLAIN Greek Yogurt (I capitalized plain because I have vanilla Greek Yogurt in my refrigerator as well, and have almost made a tragic mistake). I use fat free – since the Greek Yogurt is nice and thick and has such a nice mouth feel – I don’t need to use full fat.
- 1/4 cup sour cream. This is one of the secrets. It seems to smooth out all of the “edges” of the individual ingredients and brings them together in one amazing flavor.
- 1/2 English cucumber– peeled
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup fresh dill chopped – please use fresh. There is nothing like the aroma of fresh dill.
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
Instructions:
- On the large hole side of a box grater, grate the cucumber. English cucumbers usually don’t have seeds – but if yours does, don’t use the seeds.
- Place the cucumber shreds in a colander lined with a few paper towels and place the colander either in the sink or over a bowl. Lightly salt the cucumbers.
- This will help to draw out some of the liquid. Let them drain about an hour.
- While the cucumber drains, combine the Greek yogurt, sour cream, minced garlic, salt & pepper, and dill in a bowl. Mix in the cucumber shreds and refrigerate at least a few hours before serving.
Leftovers (if any) will keep nicely in the refrigerator (covered) for at least a week.
Enjoy!
PS: Don’t forget the breath mints 😊