Vegan Tzatziki Sauce (oil-free)
Equipment
- fine mesh strainer (or cheesecloth)
Ingredients
- 1 large cucumber
- 16 ounces plant-based unsweetened plain or Greek yogurt, such as Forager brand
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, or 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, or 1 to 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- Pinches freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
To prepare the cucumber
- Peel the cucumber, then cut it in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds using a grapefruit spoon or other spoon.Using the large holes of a box grater, shred the cucumber onto a cutting board. Rough chop the shreds so there are no long strands.Put the shredded cucumber into a fine mesh strainer and it set over a bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and stir occasionally with a soft spatular or wooden spoon to encourage the cucumber juice to drain. Let it drain in this way for at least 15 minutes.
To prepare tzatziki sauce
- In a medium-small bowl, stir together the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. When the cucumber is finished draining, fold it into the sauce.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, preferably overnight, so the flavors have a chance to blossom and marry.
Notes
- After draining the liquid from the cucumber you're left with cucumber juice. It's delicious and refreshing, so drink it instead of discarding :)
- No fine mesh strainer? As an alternative, put the cucumber shreds into cheesecloth and gently squeeze the liquid out.
- Tzatziki sauce is traditionally made with dill; however, you can substitute with an equal amount of finely chopped fresh parsley or a lesser amount of fresh mint.
- Garnish with chopped scallions if desired.
- For those not restricting oil, drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil on the surface of the tzatziki when serving.