Tzatziki is a dish of Middle Eastern origin that is often served as a side dish with pita, as a topping to other Middle Eastern dishes, like falafel and shawarma, or as part of a mezze selection. I made tzatziki tonight to accompany vegan shawarma (made with seitan), homemade dill pickles, and a chickpea-based Israeli-style salad. If all of that means nothing to you, try this: I cooked with a bunch of fresh vegetables and Middle Eastern spices, which is probably my favorite way to cook.

As an educator, I’m a process-oriented person, so my photos for today depict the process of making tzatziki rather than the finished product. Tzatziki is made with yogurt and dill (in my version) among other things, so it looks prettier unfinished. For the finished product, picture white yogurt with green flecks. (….Yum….)

On the way to becoming tzatziki

What are all those ingredients, you ask? Good question.

You’ll need . . .
6oz plain Greek yogurt
1 cucumber, grated and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of one lemon
Juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp freshly chopped dill
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Whisk together first 6 ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill and serve.

Kitchen gadgets that I used while putting this together

Enjoy!