Creamy Tzatziki (Yogurt Sauce)
Tzatziki is a tangy, creamy versatile sauce. This recipe uses cream cheese for an extra thick and creamy consistency.
Ingredients
- 1 small cucumber, grated and squeezed (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs mint, lemon balm, thyme, dill, parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Zest of 1 small lemon
- Juice of ½ small lemon
Instructions
- Wash the cucumber. Then using the large grate of a box grater, grate the cucumber into a bowl. No need to slice or deseed the cucumber, simply grate as you would a block of cheese. Use as much of the cucumber as you can without endangering fingertips!
- Lay two to three sheets of paper towels on the counter next to the sink. In small handfuls, squeeze the cucumber firmly, letting the liquid run into the sink. Place the squeezed cucumber on to the paper towels. Repeat until all cucumber is squeezed. then, place more paper towels on top of the cucumber and press to release any extra liquid.
- In a clean bowl, add squeezed cucumber, cream cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Zest the whole lemon directly into the bowl. Then cut the lemon in half and squeeze half into the bowl with the other ingredients.
- Gather your selected herbs. I enjoy using a combination of mint, lemon balm, thyme and dill, but you are welcome to choose your own or make up a new combination. The most important part is to select fresh herbs. To chop simply, gather the herbs and lay the leaves flat on top of one another (if using leafy herbs such as mint, lemon balm or basil). Roll the herbs into a tube. Then slice finely with kitchen shears or a very sharp knife. This minimizes bruising and keeps your herbs flavorful! You can cut the herbs directly into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
- Stir gently to combine. Taste. Adjust seasonings if desired.
- Serve with lamb, kebabs, falafel or on a veggie platter with pita chips and hummus!