Cucumber Dip with Yogurt- Greek Tzatziki

Cucumber Dip with Yogurt- Greek Tzatziki Dip that is healthy, low on calories and perfect for dipping chips and pita!

The first time I heard about cucumber and yogurt in one sentence it was from a friend desperately trying to loose weight, which I dismissed unceremoniously because in my mind anything touted as a weight loss meal is usually unappetizing or something you are forced to eat because you want to lose those pesky kilograms you put on during festivals.

Suffice it to say I never tried putting the two toghether..untill I tasted the Greek Tzatziki dip.

But but but..The first time I had authentic tzatziki was in Athens, which seems ages ago now,sigh.

Well, that was a different experience altogether.

I remember landing in Athens, dumping our luggage in our shared hostel and heading out to get some Greek Coffee from this idyllic road side cafe, amidst pink Bougainville flowers, un apologetically stuffing my face with giant gyros topped with heap-fulls of tzatziki and catching up with my friends ,who we were seeing after almost a year.

Here is another one of my cold yogurt dip that we make for almost every party! It takes even lesser time than this one!

Why We love Cucumber Yogurt Dip

We simply love a good dip! But this one is on top of our list and here is why

• This dip can be served cold or at room temperature.
• It can last on the counter for about 4-6 hours without any change in the texture. So it makes for a great dip for informal parties and super bowl mixers. All you have to do is set it out with some chips. No reheating, not hassle!
• It's very refreshing and contrasts well with spicy finger foods like chicken wings and crunchy veggies like carrots and celery.
• It's healthy!! I mean Greek yogurt + Cucumber!
• You can use the leftovers to make sandwiches or gyros!
• The best part! This dip can be made ahead and served straight out of the refrigerator!
• It can be made vegan / Paleo / Whole 30 by just swapping dairy yogurt with coconut yogurt.
• It's also kid friendly!

Ingredients to make Cucumber Yogurt Dip

Here is all you need to make this simple but epic dip

• Yogurt
• Cucumber
• Garlic
• Dill
• Salt

Yogurt

I have used greek yogurt because i mean it's a greek recipe. But you can use any kind of thick yogurt.

If you have homemade curd or runny yogurt, you can strain it for a couple of hours in a kitchen towel over the sink too.

If you are vegan or just dairy free, my recommendation is to use coconut yogurt to make this tzatziki sauce.

Cucumber

Any kind of cucumber will work though I prefer using English cucumber. You can also use snack cucumbers but you will need about 4-5 cucumbers for that.

Dill

I love the flavor fresh dill gives to tzatziki. Plus you don't have to chop it much.

Fresh Mint is also a great herb option to make this dip.

How to make the Cucumber Yogurt Dip

It's very easy to make this dip. Here are the step by step instructions

Prep Yogurt

We want thick, smooth yogurt. So start with straining any water or whey you see on top of the container.

If your yogurt is thin or homemade, strain the yogurt in a kitchen towel for a couple of hours.

Whisk the yogurt with a regular hand whisk till it's smooth and uniform.

Grate Cucumber

This is the only step that needs a little bit more work.

If you are using a cucumber with thin skin, you don't have to peel it.

Halve the cucumber length wise and spoon out the core and the seeds. This bit has a lot of water which can make the dip thin. Plus the cucumber seeds don't work with the texture we want.

Now grate the cucumber using the medium setting.Add a pinch of salt and mix it up.

This will help cucumber leave as much water as possible.We want to take all the water out so that the dip is thick and creamy.

So squeeze the grated cucumber a couple of times till it has no water left. You can either use your hands directly or use a cloth and a bowl.

To use the second method, keep the cucumber in the middle of the kitchen napkin. Get the ends together and twist the napkin to form a ball of cucumber. Now Squeeze it well till there is no more water coming out of the cucumber.

Prep the Herbs & Garlic

Next chop up the dill. You don't have to do this very fine because dill is anyways very thin.

Though if you are using mint, you will need to roll it up and then slice it thin. Mint leaves are thicker and can interfere with the texture.

Mince the garlic well.Again, you do not want pieces of it coming in the mouth. But please do not make a paste. Also!! Very important. Do not use store-bought garlic paste. It has vinegar in it and will completely ruin the taste of the dip.

Mix it up

All you need to do is just mix it all up! That's all!

And you are good to go!

Additional Notes

Here are some things to note while making this recipe

• This dip is served cold.
• You can make this 1-2 days ahead of serving time. Store it in an air tight container in the refrigerator and serve it straight out of the fridge.
• You can make the cucumber dip vegan by using coconut yogurt instead of Greek yogurt. If lactose is the issue, use lactose free yogurt.
• The cucumber needs to be strained well. Otherwise the dip will become runny.

Serving Cucumber Dip

This is my favorite part of this dip. It goes with almost anything!

Usually, in Greece, Tzatziki is served with gyros which is a wrap made with rotisserie meat, fries and a giant dollop of the Greek Tzatziki dip wrapped in a flatbread like pita with veggies. I serve Tzatziki with anything and everything.

So here are my favorite things to serve with tzatziki

• Vegetables - Carrot Sticks, Celery , Sweet Peppers, Radish
• Pita Bread - Either warm, toasted or make super quick pita chips in the air fryer
• Chips - Store bought potato chips- spicy, crinkled or wafer thin. We love spicy chips with t this dip because the contrast of hot and cool is just mind blowing!
• Warm Bread - Another great bread that you can serve with this dip is focaccia or even just toasted regular bread.
• Potato wedges & French Fries - This is my secret to any party. Make them with minimal effort in the air fryer and serve hot. We love sprinkling some spicy peri peri spice mix on our french fries.

When we are entertaining, this is the first thing I make. I usually scoop it straight into the bowl I will be serving it in, cover it with cling film and pop it in the freezer.

Not only does this help me make the dip ahead and free up my time for other things, refrigerating the dip also helps the herbs and garlic to infuse better in the dip. So it actually makes the dip better!

Variations of Greek Tzatziki dip

Mint & Coriander Yogurt dip - The easiest variations can be made by changing the herbs. You can use mint or parsley instead of dill for an interesting change.

Spicy Tzatziki- You can make a spicy version of this sauce by adding some paprika or ground smoked chipotle chili on it.

Salad Dressing - For Tzatziki Salad Dressing, thin down the sauce with water to get a drizzleable sauce. This is also amazing drizzled over things like falafels and kebabs.

Tzatkiki tastes best cold so remember to use either cold yogurt while making it or refrigerate it for a couple of hours before serving.

More Party Dips

If you love entertaining like we do, you will love these dips below!

Loaded Hummus with Roasted Olives & Garlic- Oh this one is just so so good and easy to put together! Again, its a cold dip, so you can make it ahead of time.

Roasted Red Pepper Feta Dip - Another gorgeous , silky smooth cold dip that will go with anything and everything! Also it's veggie loaded but no body would guess!

Lazy Persons 2 minute yogurt dip - This one is famous in our friend circle! It's my cheats way of making a dip. It needs even lesser work than this one and it's so good!

Black Bean Corn Feta Dip - A chunky salsa - ish dip which is so healthy but so decadent! We love this with nachos and chips!

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