Vegan Tzatziki (Easy Cucumber yogurt sauce)

Combine creamy almond yogurt with zesty lemon juice, mint, dill, pungent garlic and lots of fresh cucumber to get the best Vegan Tzatziki sauce you have ever tasted! It’s so easy to prepare, comes together in under 10 minutes and makes for a perfect simple pita bread or raw vegetables dip.

Creamy dips and sauces are what make most of our plant based meals so satisfying! Very simple salads or rice bowls become a feast when pouring a vegan white queso or a creamy pesto sauce on top. Sauces bring ingredients together and add flavor and texture to an otherwise very basic meal.

So here is one more delectable sauce to add to your repertoire!

You will love how flavorful and easy to make this tangy vegan Tzatziki sauce is. It also adds essential freshness when combined to heavier meals and the contrast of its cold nature with warm dishes is simply irresistible!

What is a Tzatziki sauce?

This sauce is usually made with dairy yogurt that has been strained to reach a thicker consistency and typically combined with fresh herbs (dill, mint, parsley and thyme), garlic, olive oil, salt, lemon and chopped cucumber. The result is a very tasty, savory and fresh thick sauce used as a dip or topping.

You will find this thick savory yogurt sauce in abundance in the South-East and Middle European regions. Not a specific recipe makes for the Tzatziki sauce as each countries and regions will have their own adaptations. One of the most common ways to serve this sauce in Europe is as a Meze (small plate) where everyone can dip bread, zucchini or other vegetables.

How to make this Greek style Tzatziki sauce a quick and dairy-free version?

Thick yogurt makes for the base of a typical Tzatziki sauce. To reach this texture, the yogurt (usually made with goat or sheep milk) is first strained, allowing extra water to be discarded before mixing in the other ingredients.

In this recipe, 2 modifications were made from a more authentic recipe to make it vegan and more convenient.

– Use almond yogurt: The almond yogurt has a subtle tangy flavor similar to yogurt made with dairy milk, which is perfect when making this sauce. The texture is a little more slimy though, but when mixed with the other ingredients, you will completely lose on the viscous consistency, I promise! I love the almond yogurt from the brand 365, but use the one you can find as long as it is sugar free and unflavored.

I tried making this sauce with coconut yogurt, but although the texture was a little better, I preferred the flavor when using almond yogurt.

– Skip the straining step: straining helps to reach a thicker texture, but I prefer to skip this step and compensate with adding more cucumber than a typical recipe. This recipe will give you a chunkier and thicker dip with a great consistency.

Prepare this Vegan Tzatziki sauce in 10 minutes

Preparing the cucumber is the longest step when making this sauce!

You will first have to shred the cucumber with a regular grater, then measure the packed cup you need and then remove as much water as possible from the veggie. This will help to reach a thicker dip without ending up with a watery consistency.

To do this, place the measured cup of shredded cucumber on a clean towel, lift the 4 corners of the towel up, twist, and squeeze the cucumber to remove as much water as you can.

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Once the shredded cucumber is ready, you will simply combine it with the unstrained almond yogurt, fresh mint, fresh dill, salt, lemon juice and garlic. Then stir everything together and the sauce is ready!

Pssssttt… I did noticed a significant enhancement in the flavors when resting the sauce in the fridge for 1-2 hour. So if you have extra time, let the ingredients infuse together before eating.

Best ways to eat this creamy Vegan tzatziki sauce

This sauce shines when combined with other mediterranean style dishes. Just to name a few, use this tzatziki when eating any bowls with roasted vegetables and beans or add a good dollop on your plate to dip your falafels in. Or use it as a dip when serving a Greek themed platter of pita bread, cucumbers, raw veggies and kalamata olives.

Try using this yogurt dip as a spread for a sandwich, then add roasted sliced zucchinis, sliced fresh tomatoes, jarred roasted red pepper and crunchy romaine.

Make a wrap using pita bread and stuff it with roasted tofu, cucumbers, tomatoes and top generously with this tzatziki sauce.

Make yourself an easy Greek meal by combining this sauce with a side of pita bread and a quick salad. To make the Greek salad, simply combine cubed cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped red pepper and pitted kalamata olives. Just sprinkle with a little salt and drizzle fresh lemon juice on top. Add more fresh herbs (parsley, dill, mint) if desired.

Also, check out this Spinach falafel bowl recipe, it’s my favorite way to eat this sauce!

I hope you will love this Vegan Tzatziki sauce as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let us know how it was.

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