Tzatziki with Warm Pita
Cool, garlicky cucumber yogurt sauce - no Greek table is complete without it.
Tzatziki is on every Greek table. With grilled meat, with vegetables, with bread, sometimes just by itself with a spoon. It’s cooling in summer, bright with garlic, thick with good yogurt.
The secret is straining the cucumber. Wet tzatziki is sad tzatziki. You squeeze that cucumber until no more water comes out, then you have something worth eating.
And the garlic—be generous. My yiayia’s tzatziki could wake the dead. Start with less if you’re scared, but real Greeks like it strong.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater. Put in a clean kitchen towel.
- Squeeze the cucumber over the sink. Squeeze hard. Keep squeezing until no more liquid comes out. This takes a minute. Important step.
- Put yogurt in a bowl. Add the squeezed cucumber.
- Add garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and dill. Mix well.
- Season with salt—it needs more than you think.
- Refrigerate at least 30 minutes for flavors to come together. Better after a few hours.
- Before serving, drizzle with more olive oil and maybe a sprinkle of dried dill or paprika.
- Serve with warm pita, cut into triangles.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (approximate)
Tips from My Kitchen
Use real Greek yogurt, not the American kind labeled “Greek style.” It should be thick enough to stand a spoon in. If yours is thin, strain it through cheesecloth for a few hours first.
Tzatziki keeps in the fridge 3-4 days, but the garlic gets stronger. Some people like that. I like that.
We also eat this as a sauce for souvlaki, with grilled fish, or alongside roasted vegetables. It goes with almost everything.
Kalí órexi!
