Amy Lippert, NTP
Greek Tzatziki Sauce
Updated: Sep 22, 2022
Tangy Greek yogurt, fresh cucumber, lemon, and oregano are a match made in heaven is this thick and creamy traditional tzatziki sauce. The trick to keeping this delightful cucumber yogurt sauce nice and thick is to remove the excess water from the cucumbers. This sauce is so good with grilled salmon and pita bread, as a dip for fresh cut veggies or even as a mouthwatering salad dressing!
When my husband were in college at Virginia Tech, there was an amazing little Greek restaurant called Souvlaki's on the corner of College Avenue, and it was one of our favorite places to eat. My go to was their chicken kabob with an extra helping of their tzatziki sauce...yum, my mouth is watering just thinking about it! In all our travels and moves, I have yet to find a tzatziki sauce that compares...until now. I know you will love this rich and cool cucumber tzatziki as much as we do!
Why Whole Milk versus Low-Fat Dairy
As a functional nutritionist, I always recommend to my clients that they eat foods in their whole form, and this includes all dairy. Anytime you remove a whole group of foods from your diet, like fats, your diet becomes nutrient deficient and overtime, you may begin to experience symptoms of a deficiency.
Whole milk dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and are a good source of carbohydrates, protein, and fat [1]. In general, I do not recommend eating dairy products that are low-fat or non-fat. There are a few reasons for this:
Many non-fat and low-fat products have replaced the fat that has been removed with fillers, thickeners, and sugar yielding a products that is not a whole food and potentially inflammatory.
Dairy products often contains the fat soluble vitamins A, E, K and D...and did you know that in order for your body to absorb these fat soluble vitamins, you must have fat in your diet? A low fat diet reduces the bile released by your gall bladder therefor reducing the absorption of your essential fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins.
Taste. Yes, taste. Fat makes food taste good and creates satiety from our meals. If you think about your macros in regards to a fire, the carbohydrates are like the kindling for the fire, they burn fast and are quickly used up. The fats in your diet are like the fire log, it burns at a more steady rate for a longer period of time.
So grab some whole milk organic Greek yogurt and let's get cooking!
Greek Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients
2 cups Full Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup Fresh Lemon juice
1 tsp Lemon Zest
1/4 cup EVOO
1-2 Cloves Garlic, finely minced
1 tsp Dried Oregano OR 1 Tbsp Fresh Oregano finely minced
2 Persian Cucumbers, shredded
1/2 tsp Pink Salt + 1/4 tsp Pink Salt
1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
How to Make Greek Tzatziki Sauce
1. Rinse the cucumbers and using a box shredder, shred the cucumbers and place into a mesh strainer.
2. Add 1/4 tsp of pink salt and toss to combine, set over a bowl for 15-minutes to draw water out of the cucumbers.
3. In a medium bowl combine remaining ingredients and mix well.
4. Squeeze out as much water as possible out of the cucumbers and add them to the yogurt sauce stirring to combine.
5. Top with a drizzle of EVOO and serve with pita bread, grilled chicken, or use as a dip for veggies!
Watch the Video HERE
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FAQs
Q: How long does Greek tzatziki sauce last?
A: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3-days.
Q: Can you use regular unflavored yogurt to make tzatziki sauce?
A: I would stick with using only Greek yogurt when making tzatziki sauce. The thick and creamy texture, plus the beautiful tang is what makes this sauce so good!
Q: Do you have to salt the shredded cucumbers before adding them to the tzatziki sauce?
A: No, I prefer to do this as it removes a lot of the water from the cucumbers so the sauce stays nice and thick. Adding the cucumbers without removing the excess water will make the tzatziki sauce more watery and runny.
I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does. - Amy
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