Tzatziki was one of my favorite dips ever... until I stopped eating dairy yogurt. I have yet to find vegan tzatziki and have missed it for years. Until now, I was not motivated to make one myself due to a lack of proper vegan yogurts. In the past, the options available have had tons of added thickeners and sweeteners and also were not a thick enough texture for many recipes. Now there are some fantastic coconut yogurts that are thick and simple (just coconut and probiotics!). This recipe uses Anitas Coconut Yogurt, which is the best tasting and cleanest ingredient one that I have found.

Try this dip in salad and grain bowls, with roasted or raw veggies, on sandwiches and more! Pictured here, I put it with charred broccoli simply tossed in oil, salt and pepper, roasted at 425 until it was nice and crisp (about 45 minutes). I ate it as a dip with the broccoli and then later in a bowl with kale and sesame seeds, which was also delicious! Consider this as you are thinking about dips for tailgates, holiday parties and other gatherings where you want a healthy unprocessed appetizer.

Thick and creamy coconut yogurt is essential to get the right consistency

Grating and draining english cucumbers is essential to eliminating excess water

Ingredients (4 servings)

2 cloves garlic
1 cup plain coconut yogurt (I would suggest Anitas if you can find it)
1/4 English cucumber
1/2 lemon juiced
Salt/pepper to taste

Method:

Cut and deseed the cucumber
Use a cheese grater to grate the cucumber (got this tip from the kitchn!)
Let the grated cucumber sit on paper towels and squeeze out the excess water
Mince or press the garlic cloves
Combine all ingredients well
Refrigerate until ready to serve so it can re-thicken if it thinned out during the mixing (I did this for 15 minutes)
Enjoy as a dip with veggies, topping in a salad or grain bowl or on a sandwich