Tzadziki

Tzadziki, yum, I love it!  It's a Greek appetizer/dip/salad/meze.  Whatever you want to call it, it's delish!

There are many different variations of the recipe but all include plain yogurt and cucumbers.

This is one of the easiest appetizers you can make,  and not only is it yummy, it's  fairly low in calorie as well, bonus!

The only part that's a little time consuming is peeling, seeding and dicing the cucumbers.  Once you get that of the way it's smooth sailing.

Serve it with some pita bread, a little feta and some Kalamata olives and it's the perfect summer nosh.

Ingredients:

2-3 large cucumbers:  peeled, seeded and diced.  (Some recipes call for you to salt the cuc's and let them sit to draw out the moisture, but I find this too time consuming.  In my experience, as long as  you take the seeds out, you're good to go.)

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt.  If you can find the Greek kind, great.  If not, any plain yogurt will do.

1/4 cup sour cream

1 clove of garlic - minced

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves - finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh dill - finely chopped (make sure there are no stems!)

salt and pepper to taste.

Mix all the ingredient together in a non reactive bowl.  Check your seasonings and add more of what you like. 
I suggest covering the dip and letting it sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving, this way the flavors will blend together better.

 

Comments

[Jenn]

Tzatziki is one of my all time favorites! You are right, it is perfect for summer. When I make it, I usually shred my cucumbers and I like mine really garlicky. If you can't find Greek yogurt, you can strain plain yogurt using a cheesecloth. That usually gets the job done.

Welcome to The Foodie Blogroll! :)

[grace]

next to guacamole, tzatziki is my favorite dip/spread/highway to heaven. i guess it depends on whether i'm in a big fat greek mood or hearing a mariachi band in my head. good stuff! :)

[mimi]

always looking for things to add to our summer bbqs, this looks very delish and refreshing!

[RecipeGirl]

I've made this a couple of times- we love anything Greek. But your version looks especially yummy!

[jd]

Mmmm... that Tzatziki looks delish!

I bet it's a perfect dish for when the weather gets warmer.

Thanks for the yummy recipe :)

[kalyan]

You make Greek food look so fresh and appetising. I would love to try it out

[My Bug Life]

Makes a nice refreshing bite! Yummy!

[Katrina]

oooh, my mouth is watering :o)

I've made similar dishes, but never with mint. I think I'll have to try it soon!

I love greek food, but we don't eat at the gem of a greek place less than a mile from our house because the 'mystery meat' (as the husband calls it) doesn't agree with him. I love the spit roasted lamb/beef combo and gyros though, and as another native californian can properly pronounce "gyro". Sadly, everyone ELSE here in NY looks at me like I have two heads when I say it.

[Kotiatina]

A nice variation of the recipe!
For my tzatziki I usually roughly grate the unpeeled and unseeded cucumbers, then squeeze the mass to get rid of the superfluous liquid and add more youghurt. What comes out is more of a dip than a salad.

[Shosh]

I make a very similar combination (sometimes adding chopped walnuts) and thin it with milk to serve as soup. Its a favorite summer-time first course in my family.