Vegan tzatziki is a tangy dip for a bowl, sandwich, vegetables, or on your favorite Meditteranean dishes. Loaded with fresh dill, onions, vegan yogurt, garlic, and red onions, you won't be able to get enough.
Although my Greek grandmother's food was fabulous, it was never vegan. In fact, I don't think she would mind me 'veganizing' her food to be healthier. So, with that being said, vegan tzatziki is not only possible; it tastes exactly like my grandma's.
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Last night I decided to make a gyro bowl and everything I love in a gyro wrap. Instead of regular yogurt sauce, I made a simple vegan tzatziki sauce with very few ingredients.
I prefer Kite Hill Plain Almond Milk Yogurt. Sometimes, finding plain vegan yogurt is a challenge where I live, so I usually have to go to Whole Foods or shop on Amazon. Even though you can use any plain vegan yogurt, you need to make sure it is plain and unsweetened.
Ingredients
- Plain Almond Milk Yogurt: Choose unsweetened, unflavored plain plant-based yogurt.
- Red Onion: Red onion is sweet and the perfect flavor for the sauce.
- English Cucumber: English cucumbers contain fewer seeds, thus they have less moisture than regular cucumbers.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar is quite sharp and tangy, it has smokier notes and a fuller body than you'll find in white vinegar. It also lends a rosy hue to foods
- Fresh Lemon Juice: The acid in the citrus brings out the flavors of the other ingredients. I suggest using fresh lemon juice when possible.
- Dill: I love dill. It is light and so tasty. It is a common ingredient in Greek yogurt sauce.
- Garlic: The more garlic the better. Again, I suggest using fresh garlic over jarred garlic when possible.
- Garlic Powder: Garlic powder adds an intense, concentrated garlic flavor to a recipe.
- Onion Powder: Onion powder is basically dried onion that's been ground.
- Sea Salt: Salt brings out the flavors in the rest of the sauce.
- Ground Pepper: I prefer fresh ground pepper when possible.
First, you need to make sure you use English cucumbers for vegan tzatziki sauce. To avoid a watery sauce, it is important to dice the cucumbers and allow them to drain on a paper towel while you prepare the rest of the sauce.
How to Make the Recipe
While the diced cucumber loses most of its moisture (about 10 minutes), cut the onion, and measure the other ingredients. Furthermore, using fresh lemon juice and dill makes the sauce fresher.
Then, it just takes a few minutes to put it all together.
- Dice cucumber first. I used the small chopper on my vegetable chopper.
- Place the chopped cucumber in a colander lined with paper towels and place it in the sink.
- Toss cucumbers every couple of minutes, so the paper towel absorbs the extra moisture.
- Chop onion using the same small chop, so the cucumber and onion are the same sizes.
- Place all ingredients in a bowl.
- Stir
- Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
If you have extra sauce, it will last up to a week in the refrigerator. Additionally, you can put it on a sandwich, serve with rice, or use it as a dip for vegetables. Or, you can try vegan naan for dipping.
Recipe FAQs
Although both of these delicious sauces start with a T, tzatziki is a refreshing cucumber and yogurt-based Greek dip while tahini is the Middle Eastern condiment that's a paste (similar to peanut butter) made from toasted and ground sesame seeds.
This creamy sauce is deliciously light and refreshing. Its cool, mild ingredients help diffuse stronger, spicy flavors or add a tart taste to bland food. This sauce is often made from scratch, so the flavor is fresh and tangy.
Yes, tzatziki is a healthy dip that can be enjoyed as a sauce with a delicious meal like falafel or greek sandwiches and bowls or as a dip with fresh veggies. It is low in calories and fat and is made with all fresh, healthy ingredients that contain protein, calcium, and vitamins.
Tips
- Use English cucumbers and cut the seeds out to prevent the tzatziki from getting too watery.
- Then, dice the cucumber and allow it to sit in a colander lined with a paper towel to reduce the moisture and remove excess water from the cucumber.
- Make sure to select unsweetened, unflavored plant-based yogurt.
- Allow the sauce to chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
You will love this vegan tzatziki on all of your favorite Mediterranean dishes!
Other Mediterranean Recipes
If you love vegan tzatziki, give us a 5-star review and comment below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Tzatziki
Ingredients
- 10 ounces Kite Hill Plain Almond Milk Yogurt or yogurt of choice yield 1 ¼ cups
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 1 cup diced cucumber drained on paper towels
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup fresh dill chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Dice cucumber first. I used the small chopper on my vegetable chopper.
- Place the chopped cucumber in a colander lined with paper towels and place it in the sink.
- Toss cucumbers every couple of minutes, so the paper towel absorbs the extra moisture.
- Chop onion using the same small chop, so the cucumber and onion are the same sizes.
- Place all ingredients in a bowl.
- Stir
- Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
Serve
- Dip for vegetables
- Sandwich spread
- Sauce for a gyro bowl
Notes
- Use English Cucumbers. They have fewer seeds and contain less water than normal cucumbers.
- Slice the cucumbers lengthwise and remove the seeds by cutting a thin slice down the center of the cucumber. Discard seeds.
- Use a vegetable chopper to cut small, uniform pieces of cucumber.
- Lining a colander with a paper towel is a great way to remove any excess moisture from the diced cucumber.
- Remember to choose unsweetened, plain plant yogurt.
- I suggest using fresh garlic, lemon, and herbs for the best flavor.
- Mince the garlic finely.
- Add the salt and pepper last, and taste to adjust your presence of flavor.
- Tzatziki will last 5 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
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