An authentic Greek Tzatziki recipe made with creamy yogurt, cooling cucumber and fresh herbs that makes a wonderful chilled sauce, spread, dip or dressing ready in 10 minutes.
Finely grate cucumbers over paper towels or a clean kitchen towel, wrap tight and squeeze out the excess juice with your hands over a bowl or the sink. Discard liquid. If you have the time, you can drain it in cheesecloth or fine mesh sieve overnight.
Add yogurt to a mixing bowl, then add the drained grated cucumber and grate in ½-1 garlic clove, depending on how garlicky you like your sauce.
Add lemon juice, salt, pepper and chopped herbs. Stir till everything is well combined. Check seasoning and adjust to taste.
Refrigerate till ready to serve. Just before serving, stir in extra virgin olive oil (optional). Enjoy as a dip with pita bread or veggies, or as a sauce with your Mediterranean meal.
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Notes
Cucumbers: Squeeze the excess juice from the cucumber or drain the grated cucumber in a piece of cheesecloth or sieve set over a bowl overnight in the fridge.
Yogurt: Whole milk Greek yogurt works best, but you can also use whole milk, low-fat or non-fat regular yogurt.
Make ahead: The astringency of garlic will mellow after sitting in the yogurt mix for a few hours.
Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates and include olive oil. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.