Tzatziki sauce is typically yogurt based with flavors such as mint and cucumber. But in this recipe, you will not find any dairy. Instead, I use my four ingredient homemade mayonnaise recipe as the base and add refreshing lemon, cool mint and crisp cucumber. Dairy-Free Tzatziki Sauce is the perfect addition to any Greek meal.
Thinking about going dairy-free?
When I went dairy-free in 2014, I was pretty devastated when I couldn't eat yogurt anymore. A lot of my weekday breakfasts composed of Greek yogurt, granola and fresh fruit. It took about two months for me to stop craving dairy once I cut it out of my diet. Although I still find myself saying, "this would be so good with real cheese, or this yogurt isn't as creamy as cows milk yogurt," I don't find myself having these crazy episodes where I need dairy and life won't go on without fulfilling my cheese craving. Trust me, life will go on and the cravings do subside.
If you are new to a dairy-free diet or if it's something you've considered but haven't made the leap, I won't lie and say it's easy. I will say that it will take some time to reduce cravings, but I promise you will get there. When you decide to remove dairy from your diet, you will learn pretty quickly how to cook without dairy products. I replace thick sauces like my tzatziki sauce with homemade mayonnaise and coconut milk. Substituting ingredients will take some getting use to, but eventually it will become second nature.
Once you decide to give up the cow, the goat and the sheep, having a good stack of go-to recipes will make the transition easier. I love this dairy-free tzatziki sauce with my Mediterranean lamb meatballs or rosemary lamb gyro meat. Our family also uses this sauce as a dip with carrots, cherry tomatoes, and slices of bell pepper. I typically need to double the recipe because my husband and my daughter will pour it all over their food. I hope it becomes a stable on your dinner table as well.
A couple notes about Dairy-Free Tzatziki Sauce:
Can I use dried dill?
I highly recommend using fresh dill in this recipe. Dried dill works great, but fresh dill is citrusy, vibrant and aromatic.
Dairy Free Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup homemade mayonnaise or vegan mayo for a vegan option
- ¼ cup cucumber
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh mint
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp dill, dried or fresh
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Peel and remove the seeds from the cucumber. The center of the cucumber tends to be watery and will thin down the sauce. After peeling and deseeding, finely chop the cucumber and place in a bowl
- If using fresh dill, finely chop with the mint and place in the bowl with the cucumber
- Place the remaining ingredients in the bowl and mix well. Taste and season with more salt to your liking
- Cover and place in the refrigerator for one hour before serving to allow the flavors to marinate
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