Do you love getting Tzatziki Sauce when you go out for Greek food? But maybe find it far too salty? Especially if you buy a tub of the sauce at the grocery store, it often has a bad aftertaste from the preservatives, and is high in sodium. Making it though, is really easy, with a few ingredients, many of which you could have in your pantry – including the cucumbers. Freeze-dried cucumbers are a boon to have on hand. Rehydrate them and have the taste of summer when craved. No peeling, no scraping out seeds or squeezing the grated/chopped cucumber to remove extra water. And…the taste of the sauce is so fresh tasting. No preservatives needed!
Thrive Life sells diced cucumbers, but they are a limited time item.
So I do suggest grabbing a couple cans – they are good for a very long time, and not expensive either.
Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients:
- ½ cup freeze-dried cucumbers
- 1½ cups full fat greek yogurt*
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp freeze-dried garlic or granulated garlic
- 2 tsp dried dill weed
- 1 tsp dried pepperminut, crumbled
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Directions:
Place the cucumbers in a small bowl, cover with ½ cup cool water. Let sit and rehydrate for 5 or so minutes. Strain off any remaining water. Place cucumbers back in the bowl.
Stir in the yogurt and seasonings, blending well.
Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least half an hour for the seasonings to hydrate. Making it overnight will have an even better flavor as it develops, stir well before serving.
Serve with vegetables to dip, pita chips or use in gyros – or even as a salad dressing.
Store tightly sealed in the refrigerator, use within a couple of days.
*Note:
I used Fage 5% greek yogurt, which is strained, and does not use thickeners. While more expensive, using a yogurt that is strained is preferable. The higher the fat, the creamier the dip as well. Yes, you can use non-fat but it’s so much better with real yogurt….
Find the dill weed and peppermint in the bulk spice section at many grocery stores. Sometimes the peppermint will be sold with bulk tea, so look carefully. I air dry my personal stash from what we grow, and then crumble as needed.
~Sarah