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This vegan tzatziki sauce recipe is super easy and quick to make. Plus, you only need a handful of ingredients to make this original Greek dip with cucumber, garlic, and yogurt at home!
Whether you serve it as a vegan dip, sandwich sauce, with veggie sticks or Turkish pide bread – this plant-based tzatziki is incredibly tasty with lots of food!
Is Tzatziki Vegan?
The original Greek recipe is made with yogurt and therefore isn’t vegan. But as there are countless and super tasty alternatives to cow milk yogurt nowadays, you don’t have any reason to bail on this delicious vegan sauce.
Even if you aren’t following a vegan diet but are lactose intolerant, this recipe is the right one for you. It is dairy-free and therefore, lactose-free!
I prefer to use soy yogurt to make this vegan version. But it also tastes delicious with cashew or almond yogurt if you require a soy-free version. I wouldn’t advise you to use coconut yogurt, as it usually has a quite intense coconut flavor. Unless, of course, you like the coconut taste it adds to your food.
How To Make Dairy-Free Tzatziki
This vegan recipe is so simple, easy to follow, and quick to make! All you need is a handful of everyday ingredients.
I recommend that you prepare the recipe about half an hour before serving. This way, the yogurt has enough time to absorb and develop the full taste of all the ingredients.
Garlic, in particular, always needs some time to develop its flavor to its full potential. That’s why you should always be a little hesitant with the amount of garlic you add. You can always add some more later on if the garlic taste is too weak.
Vegan Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
- Wash the cucumber and coarsely grate it. If you prefer the cucumber a little finer, use a fine grater or a food processor.
I like my tzatziki a bit juicy and therefore usually don’t seed the cucumber. If you prefer it creamy and thick, I advise you to either:
- A) Core the cucumber before grating.
- B) Place the grated cucumber in a sieve, sprinkle with sea salt, and let the excess liquid drain for a few minutes to get rid of the excess water.
- Place the grated cucumber, lemon juice, soy yogurt, fresh dill, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Peel the garlic and finely grate it over the bowl. I always use a zester for this. You can also use a garlic press instead. Attention: Be a little careful with the amount of garlic you add. The full aroma develops over time and can get very strong. Taste the sauce after 30 minutes and if the garlic flavor is too weak, add some more grated garlic.
- Mix everything.
- You can serve it right away or let it sit for 30 minutes (at room temperature or in the refrigerator) until the flavor has fully developed.
How long does this Tzatziki stay fresh? You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least three days.
Recipe Variations:
- Use dried instead of fresh dill.
- Add fresh mint.
- Substitute the lemon juice with lime juice.
Uses for Tzatziki
- As a dip
- Veggies Sticks
- Nachos
- Turkish Bread
- Pita Bread
- Sandwich Sauce
- Vegan Gyros
- Vegan Kebab
More Easy Vegan Dip Recipes You’ll Love:
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Tzatziki
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Ingredients
- ½ cup (100g) grated cucumber ½ cup is about ¼ of a cucumber
- ¾ cup (180g) soy yogurt or any plant-based yogurt
- ½ lemon only juice
- 1 small clove garlic grated or pressed
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, minced or 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Coarsely grate the cucumber and finely grate the garlic.
- Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix together.
- You can serve it right away or let it sit for 30 minutes until the flavor has fully developed.
- *If you prefer your Tzatziki less liquid, core the cucumber before grating or transfer your grated cucumber in a sieve, sprinkle with sea salt, and let the liquid drain for a few minutes to get rid of the excess water.
Notes
- Keeps fresh for 3 days. Store it in a airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Garnish with olive oil, fresh dill, and lemon wedges.
