This is one of the best ways to use cucumber in my opinion. Slice cucumbers thinly, then put into a sauce with yogurt, garlic, and dill. Some people prefer to use chopped mint – it depends on what you have on hand.
Good with gyros, lamb meatballs, salads, as a dip for pita bread or veggies.
Tzatziki
Servings: 1.5 cups
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-2 cucumbers
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 1 c unflavored Greek yogurt **
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced fine
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the cucumbers: peel them, halve them lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Slice them very thinly, mix with the salt, and let them stand in a strainer 10-15 minutes. This pulls out liquid and bitterness from the cukes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, and dill. Stir in the oil in a thin stream, and incorporate it well.
- After 15 min, rinse the cucumber slices in cold water, then spread them out on a clean kitchen towel, and roll in the towel to dry. Now add them to the bowl with the yogurt mixture, and serve.
- Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, if you like.
Notes
About the yogurt: if you only have regular yogurt, drain it to make it thicker: let it stand 15-20 min in a cheesecloth-lined strainer, then use as in this recipe.