Tzatziki

Tzatziki is a fresh Greek yoghurt dip with cucumber and garlic. It’s indispensable with a platter of Greek mezze, but also goes perfectly with grilled meat, fish or a simple barbecue buffet. With this recipe you’ll make a classic, creamy tzatziki with a full flavour.

Serves: 4
Preparation: approx. 10 minutes
Cooking: approx. 0 minutes
Total time: approx. 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 400 g full-fat Greek yoghurt
• 1 cucumber
• 2–3 cloves of garlic
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1–2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• (optional, classic variation: 1–2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill or a little mint)

Preparation

• Prepare the cucumber
  Wash the cucumber and cut off the ends. Halve the cucumber lengthways and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon. Coarsely grate the cucumber into a bowl.
• Let the cucumber drain
  Sprinkle the grated cucumber with a pinch of salt and leave for a few minutes. Put the cucumber in a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

Method

1. Make the yoghurt base
   Put the Greek yoghurt in a mixing bowl. Add the finely chopped or crushed garlic. Pour in the juice of ½ lemon and add 1–2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Stir everything together gently until smooth.
2. Add the cucumber
   Add the well-squeezed grated cucumber to the yoghurt. Mix or fold the cucumber evenly through the yoghurt.
3. Season to taste
   Taste the tzatziki and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a little more lemon juice if you want it fresher. (Optional: stir in the finely chopped dill or mint now.)
4. Let the tzatziki rest
   Cover the bowl and let the tzatziki rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flavours to develop and makes the texture a little firmer.
5. Serve the tzatziki
   Spoon the tzatziki into a serving bowl and, if you like, drizzle over a thin trickle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with grilled meat or fish, as part of a Greek mezze platter, or simply with fresh bread, pitta bread or raw vegetables. Keep the tzatziki covered in the fridge and preferably use within 1–2 days for the best flavour and texture.