Tzatziki (say sɑtˈziki) is a greek style dip traditionally made with yogurt, sour cream, cucumber, and fresh herbs. Often dill and/or parsley are used. Well, I’ve been wanting to make tzatziki all summer, and with our fresh cilantro coming out of the field I decided to shake things up! This a fun and fresh take on tzatziki with lime and cilantro. One of the things I really enjoy about CSA inspired cooking is subbing one ingredient in a traditional dish – it becomes something completely different in the best possible way. This fresh dip could be even be used to top tacos or nachos. For a mediterranean style meal serve with grilled chicken, cubed feta, tomatoes, olives, and pita.
I like the texture of grated cucumber in tzatziki, but if you prefer the cucumber could also be cubed. A lot of water will come out of the cucumber when you grate it – try to leave most of it on the cutting board and transfer the cucumber to mesh strainer. The less water in the cucumbers, the more creamy your dip will be. Sprinkle a 1/4 teaspoon of the sea salt on the cucumbers and let the strainer sit over a bowl or in the sink to draw out moisture. Prep your other ingredients while the cucumber sits.
After the cucumber sits for about ten minutes, squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands, and then mix the cucumbers, garlic, lime juice, and cilantro together. Add a few grinds of black pepper and taste to see if it needs additional salt. The salt from the cucumbers might be enough. It’s a good idea to let the dip mellow for a few minutes before adding the salt, I added a little too much the first time.
Cilantro Tzatziki Sauce
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 small to medium sized cucumber
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
1-/4 – 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1 small garlic clove, minced (if raw garlic is too strong for you, skip or use 1/2 a clove)
Grate the cucumber. Transfer grated cucumber to a mesh strainer, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and let cucumber drain for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, squeeze out any excess moisture with your hands. Transfer to a medium sized bowl and combine remaining ingredients, except salt. Taste and adjust salt if necessary. Serve chilled.
