We really got into Tzatziki whilst on holiday to Greece in the summer and I desperately wanted to make a friendly version for the girls to enjoy. I've tried before but some dairy-free yoghurt is not a good replacement for a thick and creamy Greek yogurt. Some have sweet flavour that, in my opinion, really doesn't marry well with garlic and cucumber!
I did some research and found a blog online that tried all the different dairy-free yoghurts and recommended Oatly Greek style Oatgurt. I did some experimenting, and yes indeed Oatly Greek style yoghurt makes a fabulous Tzatziki - it's smooth, rich and creamy with no sweet undertone or out of place coconut flavour. At a push, Alpro Greek style works too, but it doesn't taste nearly as good as the Oatly version in a Tzatziki.
I think English people presume (or maybe that's just me!) that a tzatziki contains herbs, probably some dill or parsley, but actually it turns out you want a simple marriage of yoghurt, garlic and cucumber. Here the yoghurt is seasoned with oil, vinegar and salt and pepper - not the lemon you might imagine. The addition of the essential Greek ingredient of Olive oil give a silky and slightly looser texture - making it just perfect for dipping or spreading.
This tzatziki is so good that we have it nearly weekly - served with pittas (homemade if i have time, or from Sainsburys or Waitrose - neither the Tesco or M&S varieties are suitable for us anymore as they contain milk and/or traces of sesame). Alongside our 'little S friendly' Greek style salad which is dressed cucumber, red onion, olives and pepper with a liberal sprinkling of oregano. Little S hates tomatoes so they go in a separate bowl with some feta for the dairy eaters who also like tomatoes!! Often i'll make chicken souvlaki skewers for the meat eaters, griddled for a charred flavour and seasoned with oregano, garlic, dried mint, cumin and lemon juice. Or, my favourite of homemade falafel (using Sami Tamimi's recipe in the awesome cookbook Jerusalem) with Tzatziki and warm pittas - yummy.
To make this Tzatziki gluten-free you'll need to find a gluten-free dairy-free yoghurt.
Dairy-free Tzatziki
Serves 2 (easily multiplied)
- 1/3 average sized cucumber
- 120 g Oatly Greek style Oatgurt
- 1/2 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- salt and pepper
- Halve the cucumber portion, scrape out the seeds with a spoon and then use a box grater to grate. Squeeze the grated cucumber between your hands to remove as much of the water as possible. Set aside.
- In a bowl combine the yoghurt, garlic, oil, vinegar and seasoning. Taste and add more salt or vinegar as required.
- Stir in the drained grated cucumber and leave for half an hour for the flavours to combine.
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