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    Home > Vegan Condiments

    Easy Vegan Tzatziki

    By Nandor Barta on 01/04/2023 - May contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure.

    Jump to Recipe Print Pin

    Our vegan tzatziki sauce is refreshing and tangy, with a creamy texture. It features vegan yogurt and vegan sour cream. It is often served as a dip with veggies or pita bread or used as a topping for sandwiches, wraps, and gyros. Try it out today and add some zing to your meals!

    Black bowl with white green sauce topped with freshly chopped dill. The bowl is surrounded by falafel in pita bread on a white plate.

    If you are looking for easy and refreshing sauces or dressings to serve with Middle Eastern or Mediterranean dishes, try our lemon herb tahini sauce or our maple dijon tahini dressing.

    Jump to:
    • What to expect?
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Cooking tips
    • Variations
    • Serving ideas
    • Equipment
    • Storing tips
    • FAQs
    • More vegan condiment recipes
    • Vegan Tzatziki Sauce

    What to expect?

    When you taste our vegan tzatziki sauce, you can expect a refreshing and tangy flavor with a creamy texture. The vegan yogurt gives it a cool and crisp taste. The vegan sour cream and olive oil help to give it a rich and velvety consistency, while the grated cucumber adds a bit of crunch. Garlic, dill, and vinegar cause subtle zing and brightness to the flavor. The overall taste is light and refreshing, making it a perfect condiment for warm weather.

    Ingredients

    The vegan tzatziki sauce is a must-have condiment generously drizzled over vegan gyros or falafel gyros. What do you need to make them at home?

    • English cucumber → While Persian cucumber is the best, they are not easy to come by. Therefore, I usually make it with English cucumber. American cucumbers can be bitter, with large seeds and thicker peel.
    • Garlic
    • Fresh or dried dill
    • Vegan yogurt → Choose a type of yogurt with a thicker consistency to have a velvety, creamy texture at the end. We prefer soy yogurt over coconut yogurt, as it has a neutral taste.
    • Vegan sour cream → You can use store-bought, or try our homemade vegan sour cream without cashews recipe
    • White wine vinegar
    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • Salt and black pepper
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    🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    Instructions

    1. Wash the cucumber and use a large hole cheese grater to make a grated cucumber. No need to peel it.
    2. Take a bowl and transfer the cucumber to it. Sprinkle it with salt and wait 5-10 minutes for the cucumber to release water.
    3. When you see excess water, squeeze the grated cucumber between your palms as much as possible. Alternatively, you can use a cheesecloth or kitchen towel.
    4. Take another bowl and add all sauce ingredients (yogurt, sour cream, white wine vinegar, olive oil, finely chopped garlic, dill, salt, and black pepper). Stir well.
    5. Finally, mix the sauce with the grated cucumber. It is best to be served after a bit of waiting time so that you can taste the flavor of the dill and garlic better.

    Cooking tips

    • Don’t skip salting and squeezing. This will help the cucumber release as much moisture as possible. After a few minutes, take handfuls of the grated cucumber and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. The cucumber should be almost dry after this step. If you skip this step, the cucumber will release the excess moisture directly into the sauce, making your vegan tzatziki thin and runny instead of creamy.
    • Don’t grate it too finely. We recommend using a large hole cheese grater or a food processor with a shredding blade attachment. You want to have crunch in the sauce.
    Black bowl with white green sauce topped with freshly chopped dill. The bowl is surrounded by falafel in pita bread on a white plate.

    Variations

    This vegan tzatziki recipe is close to the classic version. However, if you feel like experimenting, here are some ideas. Start with a small amount and taste before going further with the ingredients below.

    1. Herbs: Add freshly chopped parsley or mint to give the sauce a unique twist.
    2. Spices: To add an extra flavor, add a bit of cumin, sweet paprika powder, or sumac. The latest has a citrus aroma. How about a dash of harissa? We sure love it in harissa tofu and harissa pasta.
    3. Other vegetables: Grated carrots or radishes can work great next to cucumber.
    4. Nuts and seeds: Top the tzatziki with pine nuts or sesame seeds for a bit of crunch.
    5. Avocado: For a creamier and more decadent tzatziki sauce, try adding some mashed avocado to the mix.
    6. Lemon zest: If you love citrus flavors, use lemon zest. Remember to buy lemons where the peel is not treated for chemicals for storage purposes.

    Serving ideas

    We love to make tzatziki in the summer to accompany various dishes. Here are some of our favorites:

    • Shredded oyster mushroom makes the perfect vegan gyros. Crispy and flavorful. Spread vegan tzatziki sauce on top of the pita before adding your fillings.
    • Do you love vegan falafel? They often served as a falafel sandwich with tahini. But those crunchy green balls are perfect to make falafel gyros with tzatziki.
    • Use tzatziki sauce as a spread or topping for veggie wraps, along with your choice of vegetables, grains, and legumes.
    • This sauce can be a great condiment for grain bowls next to vegetables, grains, and other protein sources.
    • For us, tzatziki is a must-have item on any falafel platter or vegan grazing board.
    • It also pairs well with various grilled vegetables, such as eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Try our grilled vegetable kabobs to combine all of the above.
    • Several pita pocket on a white serving tray stuffed with crispy brown shredded oyster mushroom, tomato and cucumber slices andwhite-green tzaztziki sauce
      Vegan Gyros (Shredded Mushrooms)
    • 3 pitas folded and stuffed with 2 brown falafel balls, white grated cucumber salad, tomato and purple onion slices. A black bowl of white grated cucumber sauce is placed next to them.
      Falafel Gyros with Tzatziki
    • Lot of items in a white board including falafel balls on top of lettuce leaves, charcoaled pita breads, grated cucumber in yoghurt sauce, orange hummus, olives, chopped green red salad, light brown sauce, cherry tomatoes, orange peppers, sliced cucumber, breadsticks and crackers.
      The Ultimate Falafel Platter with Hummus, Tahini, Tzatziki & More
    • Grilled Vegetable Kabobs (+5 Marinades)

    Equipment

    • Cheesecloth or kitchen towel: Squeezing the cucumber with your hands can work too. However, if you want perfect dry grated cucumber, use a cheesecloth, or similar towel. I often use the cheapest ever nylon nut milk bag from Ali Express (similar to this one on Amazon), carefully washed after making homemade cashew milk.
    • Large hole cheese grater: Refrain from grating the cucumber too finely. You need to be able to feel the crunchy texture within the sauce.
    • Shredding blade of the food processor: This is the quickest method to prepare a large batch.

    Storing tips

    • To store vegan tzatziki sauce, transfer it to an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. It will keep for about 2-3 days in the fridge. Even if you squeeze the cucumber thoroughly, it might still release water as the days go by. Expect to have a thinner sauce after 2-3 days.
    • We don’t recommend storing it in the freezer, as freezing can cause the ingredients to separate. The consistency after thawing will highly depend on the type of vegan yogurt and sour cream you use.
    Black bowl with white green sauce topped with freshly chopped dill. The bowl is surrounded brown paper used as sandwich covers.

    FAQs

    What type of vegan yogurt should you use?

    You can use any dairy-free yogurt. Some options include soy yogurt, coconut yogurt, almond milk yogurt, and oat milk yogurt. Just be sure to choose a plain, unsweetened variety. We prefer soy or oat milk yogurt, since they have the most neutral flavor.

    Can you use milk instead of yogurt or sour cream?

    Keep in mind that milk has a much thinner consistency compared to them. Tzatziki will be too runny and not creamy enough.

    Can you omit dill?

    Dill is the defining flavor of tzatziki. If you don’t like it, try mint or parsley. You can find more variations above.

    More vegan condiment recipes

    Browse through our vegan condiments or check out one from the below list:

    • Light brown sauce in a white shallow bowl sprinkled with white sesame seeds and topped with a twig of parsley. Falafel balls are next to it.
      Maple Dijon Tahini Dressing (Oil-free)
    • Light green sauce in a white bowl decorated with parsley and dill
      Fresh Lemon Herb Tahini Dressing/Sauce
    • Creamy Oil-free Hummus
    • White plate with light brown hummus sprinkled on top with sunflower seeds, chopped parsley and paprika powder. Crackers are scattered around it.
      Sunflower Seed Hummus (Without Tahini)

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    Black bowl with white green sauce topped with freshly chopped dill. The bowl is surrounded by falafel in pita bread on a white plate.

    Vegan Tzatziki Sauce

    Nandor Barta
    Our vegan tzatziki sauce is refreshing and tangy, with a creamy texture. It features vegan yogurt and vegan sour cream. It is often served as a dip with veggies or pita bread or used as a topping for sandwiches, wraps, and gyros. Try it out today and add some zing to your meals!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 25 minutes mins
    Course Condiment
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 139kcal

    Equipment

    • Food processor
    • Large hole cheese grater

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 8 oz Cucumber (large)
    • ½ cup Vegan yogurt
    • ½ cup Vegan sour cream
    • ½ Tbsp White wine vinegar
    • 1 Tbsp Olive oil
    • 2 cloves Garlic
    • 1 tsp Dill or 1 Tbsp fresh dill
    • ½ tsp Salt
    • ⅛ tsp Black pepper
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    Instructions
     

    • Wash the cucumber and use a large hole cheese grater to grate it. No need to peel it.
    • Take a bowl and transfer the grated cucumber to it. Sprinkle it with salt and wait 5-10 minutes for the cucumber to release water.
    • When you see water, squeeze the grated cucumber between your palms. If you skip this step, the cucumber will release the moisture directly into the sauce, making it runny.
    • Take another bowl and add yogurt, sour cream, white wine vinegar, olive oil, finely chopped garlic, dill, and pepper. Mix them well. Finally, add the grated cucumber and mix again.
    • For serving suggestions, read the post above.
    Tried this recipe? Can we see it?Please share a picture with us by uploading an image to Pinterest below ours.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Tzatziki Sauce
    Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
    Calories 139 Calories from Fat 81
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 9g14%
    Saturated Fat 3g19%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
    Monounsaturated Fat 3g
    Sodium 437mg19%
    Potassium 85mg2%
    Carbohydrates 13g4%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 4g4%
    Protein 2g4%
    Vitamin A 43IU1%
    Vitamin C 6mg7%
    Calcium 49mg5%
    Iron 0.2mg1%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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