Make Tzatziki like in Greece

Either to serve it as a mezze, as to accompany vegetables or roast meat, or to dress a sandwich on a pita bread, with this simple recipe of “tzatziki” you will feel like at the shore of the Aegean Sea.

Ingredients:

500g Greek yogurt, well strained

1 large or 2 small garlic clove

1/3 of a cucumber

The juice of a half lemon

Salt and extra virgin olive oil

Cut about a third of a cucumber and peel some strips of it, leaving about half of the skin and grate it. Press firmly to get rid of as much water as possible.

Serve the Greek yogurt in a bowl. Add a clove of pressed garlic (even two for those more daring, depending on personal taste), the grated cucumber, the juice of half a lemon, the same amount of extra virgin olive oil and salt. Mix until everything is integrated. When serving, decorate with mint leaves and olive oil.

Tips and tricks:

  1. The more strained the yogurt, the better will be the result. If you only get regular plain yogurt (0-3.5% fat), I recommend getting rid of the excess liquid by filtering it just as when making filter coffee. The resulting whey can be used to make pancakes, bread dough, etc.
  2. It’s essential to use natural yogurt without sugar, which seems not so easy to find in some countries. In that case, follow my tips to make your own yogurt at home.