Tzatziki is a dish that I basically spent my whole life ignoring in Greek restaurants, but it’s actually incredibly packed with flavor and protein. As I age, I’m increasingly enjoying sour and acidic foods, and this Tzatziki dish is easy to make and goes as a great condiment to pretty much anything (and sometimes I eat it by itself!). My favorite is to pair this with a roasted salmon.
The basic ingredients are just plain Greek yogurt, lemon juice, dill, cucumbers, olive oil, and salt. Everything else is completely optional.
Ingredients
- Plain Greek Yogurt, 400 grams. I use Fage 0% fat yogurt, which has a very high protein to calorie ratio.
- Lemon juice from 1 medium-sized lemon.
- Cucumber, approx. 50 grams. I usually just dice up 2 mini Persian cucumbers.
- Fresh Dill, approx. 10 grams or 5-6 sprigs. It’s very important to use fresh dill. I also like using the stems, as I find it adds some crunch and more intense dill flavor.
- Olive Oil, 1 tbsp. Ideally EVOO.
- Salt to taste.
- (Optional) Fresh Mint, approx. 10 grams or 5-6 sprigs.
- (Optional) Tahini, 15 grams. I find Tahini balances the acidity of the yogurt and lemon juice, and it also helps thicken the dish.
- (Optional) Honey, 10 grams. I like putting in something sweet. Just a small squeeze of honey will help. I also sometimes have access to date-flavored Tahini, which is a really good sugary flavor for this dish.
- (Optional) Paprika. I like adding both paprika and sumac, not just for their taste, but because IMO the color makes the tzatziki look more appetizing.
- (Optional) Sumac.
Directions
This is as simple as can be. Just dice everything up and mix.
Nutrition Information
- 400-500 calories (depends on tahini and honey usage)
- 45 grams of protein
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