Recipe:Tzatziki

I love when simple ingredients are used to make something really tasty. Tzatziki fits into that category for me, but it is not commonly found in stores or restaurants unless you live in an ethnically diverse area. Tzatziki would best be described as a sauce. I have seen different recipes for it and some make it with a base of sour cream, but traditionally it is made with strained yogurt. I have seen some store-bought versions, but looking at the ingredient label you will most often find mile long list of ingredients that you can't pronounce. Not my idea of tasty. Luckily, tzatziki is easy to make at home.

The first time I tasted, or even heard of tzatziki was when I visited Athens in 2004. I was a college student at the time and my friends and I stumbled across the Alexander the Great restaurant while exploring the city. Our host was very friendly and invited us to try some tzatziki and some stuffed grape leaves for free along with the rest of our meal. During that visit I became a big fan of both items.

Its been a long time since then so I really don't know how my version compares to what I was served in Greece. However, my uses for it go well beyond simply eating it with pita bread like we did that night in Athens. Tzatziki is a great topping for grilled meat (when I am eating meat), a tasty and healthy substitute for butter and sour cream on a baked potato, and a great dip for veggies. I am sure there are more uses that are just waiting to be discovered!

The following is a my version of Tzatziki. I can't remember what my original source or sources might have been for this recipe, but it is not unlike many others out there. Other recipes may call for extra ingredients, but I prefer this simple version. I live alone so this recipes doesn't make as much as some other recipes, but you can always double or triple the recipe as needed.

Tzatziki Ingredients

• 1 cup Non-fat greek yogurt (you can also use regular yogurt, but it must be drained)
• 1 cup cucumber, peeled, de-seeded and shredded
• 1 clove garlic
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 2 Tbsp mint, parsley, or dill (or a combination). Fresh is preferred.

Tzatziki Directions

If you are not using greek yogurt, you will need to drain your regular non-fat yogurt. This can be done by using cheesecloth and a colander to drain the yogurt of whey. You usually need to let it sit for at least a couple hours or overnight. For time sake, I just use the greek. I know it can be expensive, but I have found it at my local Sam's Club store for cheaper than at any of the regular grocery stores in my area. Measure 1 cup of your greek or drained yogurt into a 1 quart bowl.


For the cucumber, I use a hothouse cucumber, but any variety will do. Hothouse cucumbers are called "seedless" but looking at them you can see this is not really true, so the seeds still need to be removed. After peeling your cucumber, cut it down the middle to expose the seeds on either half. 

Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. 

Once the seeds are removed, use the large holes in a box grater to shred the cucumber. In some recipes, you may be instructed to salt the cucumber and then squeeze it to remove excess water, but I find it sufficient just to squeeze it without the salt. If you have cheesecloth handy you can wrap it in that and squeeze it over the sink. Or, if you are like me, you will find a couple sheets of paper towel gets the job done as long as it is good quality and doesn't easily fall apart. Add your shredded, drained cucumber to your yogurt. 

For the garlic clove, my preferred method is to put it through a garlic press, but you can also mince it by hand and add it to the mix. Your herb or herbs of choice also need to be finely chopped. I prefer mint and I would recommend using at least a little even if you decide to go with the dill or parsley. It really doesn't give the tzatziki a minty flavor, so don't worry. It just gives the tzatziki a little extra depth that you won't get with dill or parsley alone. Add your herbs to the mix.

Being careful not to accidently add some seeds, squeeze the juice of one lemon into the mixture and stir to combine. 

My recommendation is to cover and let stand in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.

If you are interested in the nutritional value of tzatziki using this recipe, I ran it through the recipe analyzer at http://nutritiondata.self.com/ . Using my preferred ingredients and assuming this recipes yields four servings, the nutritional information is as follows.

Calories            39

Fat                     0g

Cholesterol       0g

Sodium            27mg

Carbohydrates 3g

Protein              6g

Calcium             8%

Vitamin C         6%

Let the numbers speak for themselves. Tzatziki is an excellent additional to any meal plan whether you are looking for something new and healthy or just something to light up your taste buds. Enjoy!