Tzatziki / Cucumber and Yogurt Dip

Tzatziki, is a dip found in the cuisines of Southeast Europe and the Middle East. It is made of yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, salt, olive oil, sometimes with vinegar or lemon juice, and herbs such as dill, mint, parsley and thyme.

 

Preparation time: 40 minutes
(plus overnight draining time)
Serves 6

 

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated* 2 tsp. salt 2 c. plain low-fat or nonfat yogurt, drained** 4 cloves garlic, minced 3 tbsp. olive oil 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. pepper

1. Sprinkle grated cucumber with salt and leave in a colander to drain for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine yogurt, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate while cucumber drains. 2. Use your hands to squeeze cucumber dry and stir gently into yogurt mixture.

*To seed a cucumber, slice the cucumber in half lengthwise. Hold the cucumber, cut
side up, with one hand while using a small spoon to scrape out seeds.
**To drain yogurt, place it in a strainer lined with a coffee filter or cheesecloth and placed over a bowl. Put the bowl in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove the yogurt from the strainer and discard the liquid in the bowl below.