Fresh and Easy Vegan, Dairy Free Tzatziki Sauce!

Calling all dairy-free lovers of this mediterranean novelty! The gyro, one of my favorite mediterranean treats, is one of the best pairs for this sauce and yet, due to my dairy-free lifestyle, I've been avoiding including it in my orders. The refreshing flavors of the tart, mint, dill and crisp crunch of the cucumber in this sauce make it hard to not notice when it is not there. I had enough of going without and decided to give it a go at trying my own dairy-free version. There are many recipes out there nowadays for a vegan, dairy-free alternative and I combined a couple different ideas to create this perfectly delicious hack to still enjoying tzatziki.

Some recipes call for silken tofu and varying types of non-dairy yogurt. I decided I would go with the So Delicious brand of unsweetened plain coconut yogurt. I was aiming to maintain as much creaminess as possible and coconut based products tend to give me the best texture when it comes to creaminess. See below for more details and the recipe!

Recipe: 

1 chopped English cucumber 

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

fresh squeezed juice from 1/2  of a lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (optional)

3 cloves chopped fresh garlic

1 teaspoon salt (we use himalayan pink salt)

4 cups unsweetened coconut yogurt (or unsweetened non-dairy yogurt of choice)

Preparation: 

Chop cucumber in to small chunks about the size of a kernel of corn or to your desired size preference. Set aside in another bowl and let chopped cucumber drain for 20-30 minutes to prevent excess liquid from pooling in final tzatziki sauce. In medium sized mixing bowl fold in drained cucumber, garlic, dill, lemon juice, white wine vinegar and salt. Take notice on the ingredients list that your yogurt is truly unsweetened. I found a lot of hidden sugars in the form of concentrated white grape juice and evaporated cane sugar in other "plain" yogurts and didn't notice until after I got home from the grocery store.  Unsweetened yogurt is the best version for this recipe in my opinion taste-wise as the sweetness of other yogurt styles tends to throw off the flavors in the sauce. There is cushion to adjust the lemon juice and white wine vinegar proportions depending on how tart or not you like your tzatziki. Allow sauce to sit in fridge for up to an hour to allow flavors to blend and further develop. Serve with your favorite wrap or pita chips and hummus and Enjoy!

Bon Appetit!