Dairy-Free Vegan Tzatziki Sauce

By
Ashley Adams
Ashley Adams
Ashley Adams is a restaurant professional and workshop instructor with a specialty in dairy-free cooking and baking.
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Updated on 02/20/22
Tzatziki and Grilled Pita Bread
MIB Pictures/UpperCut Images/Getty Images
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
115 Calories
3g Fat
19g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 115
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1073mg 47%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 18mg 91%
Calcium 173mg 13%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 46mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Tzatziki is a Mediterranean or Greek sauce or dip that is traditionally made with strained yogurt and cucumbers. It is used in Greek dishes such as gyros or Greek salads as a dressing as opposed to other condiments. It is also served with meats or with pita bread accompanying a beef, lamb, fish or chicken sandwich. This dairy-free version uses soy yogurt and strains it through a cheesecloth to thicken it. Try this recipe with vegan friends or for a party to add some newness to traditional dishes. Tzatziki can be eaten at breakfast, lunch, and supper.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups plain soy yogurt, such as Silk or Wildwood

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped cucumber, peeled

  • 1 tablespoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Place 2 layers of cheesecloth over a fine colander or strainer set over a bowl so that it is not touching the base but so that the entire bottom of the colander is over the bowl. (If part of the colander hangs over the edge of the bowl, you will have a mess!) Pour the soy yogurt over the cheesecloth and place the colander and bowl in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

  3. In a small mixing bowl, combine all of the remaining ingredients. Mix in the strained soy yogurt.

  4. Serve cold and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

  5. Enjoy!

Storing Tzatziki Sauce

Because of the addition of cucumbers into the sauce, Tzatziki sauce has a very limited shelf life. As little as two days after making it the cucumbers incorporated into it can start letting off moisture. Therefore, you can freeze them up to 3 months but will lose the texture of the sauce after the initial freezing. When freezing, be sure to separate them into appropriate portions in separate freezer bags. When thawing you will want to gradually thaw from frozen, to the fridge, to the counter at room temperature.

Serving Tzatziki Sauce

Some suggest making the sauce at least a day ahead before serving to ensure the flavors have melded together. Some ways to spruce up a traditional tzatziki sauce is by adding coarsely chopped fresh mint to the finished product or parsley and other greenery as a garnish. Depending on how you'll have it, i.e. with veggies, as a spread or as a dip with meats, alter the amount of garlic, lemon juice and mint you might use to allow for the foods' flavors to balance each other out.

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