Tzatziki (Greek Dip)

(Above: This Greek dip is healthier and less fattening than sour cream based dips, but tastes just as good, if not better.)

After our first trip to Greece in 2011, I started experimenting with some Greek dishes.

This is a very addictive yogurt and cucumber dip and is served everywhere in Greece, including on Gyros you buy from street vendors. We like it as a dip for lightly toasted pita chips, which we served at our Big Fat Greek Mother’s Day Party.

We also had our friend Chris and his family (who are from Crete) over for dinner and they raved about this dip, so it must be authentic.

Tzatziki (Greek Dip)

October 13, 2018

Prep: 20 min

Total: 1 hr 20 min

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This is easy to make in about 20 minutes but you should let it rest in a refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

By: Mark Micheli

Ingredients

Greek yogurt (16 oz.). It’s better with the whole fat Greek yogurt, but I’ve used the low-fat and non-fat Greek yogurts and it’s been great too. It just depends on whether you want to save a few calories or not. Whatever you choose, it’s less fattening and more healthy than any sour cream dip: and much tastier.
Cucumber (1 large)
Garlic cloves (3 cloves. The recipe I have calls for 5, but I found it too strong. And I love garlic.)
Dill (A small bunch. About 1-2 tbsp.)
Olive oil (1/8 to 1/4 cup. The recipe I have calls for a 1/2 cup, but I found less is best.)
Salt, pepper (to taste)
Lightly toasted pita chips

Directions

Step 1 Put salt, garlic, and dill in a food processor and mince fine.
Step 2 Wash the cucumber and peel strips lengthwise so the cucumber looks like is has stripes. Then grate it and dump it into a colander to drain. You can press down on the small pieces to get more moisture out.
Step 3 If the yogurt isn’t already strained, then dump it into a colander too to allow excess moisture to drain out.
Step 4 Put yogurt, cucumber, garlic mixture, olive oil, salt and pepper into a bowl and mix thoroughly.
Step 5 Cover and store in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Several hours or overnight is even better.
Step 6 Serve with lightly toasted pita chips. (Simply cut pita bread into triangles. Brush on olive oil and salt and bake in a 400 degree oven on a cookie sheet until lightly toasted.)