Tzatziki is synonymous with Greek cooking and has a broad appeal as evidenced by the numerous brands of tzatziki dips available at grocery stores. While this tasty dip is a Greek cuisine staple, contrary to popular belief, we only eat it occasionally in our home. This may be due to the fact that real tzatziki, unlike the popularized store bought version, is loaded with raw garlic. For this recipe, I have reduced the garlic to a small amount and made it optional. As easy as it is to pick up a tub of tzatziki from the store, give this homemade recipe a try. You’ll love the fresh cucumber!
Ingredients
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 cup of non-fat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 clove garlic (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
- Salt to taste
Preparation
- Peel and grate 1 large cucumber into a medium size bowl
- Once grated, you want to remove all of the excess liquid. Hold the bowl slightly titled over the sink with one hand and squeeze the grated cucumber with the other hand. Let the water expelled from the grated cucumber pour into the sink. After initially draining the excess liquid, you may want to let the cucumber rest for 2 minutes and start the process over again. Be sure to take your time with this step. If too much liquid is left in the cucumber, it will cause the tzatziki to be watery. Your large cucumber should yield approximately 1 cup of shredded cucumber as shown below
- Peel and press the garlic
- Combine the grated cucumber, pressed garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, chopped dill, and salt in the bowl
- Stir until all of the ingredients are blended
