Description
This zesty vegan tzatziki dip is amazing served with warm pita or falafel.
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed grated cucumber (170 g, no need to peel)
- 1.25 cup soft tofu (250 g)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (15 mL)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (30 mL)
- 1 tsp red or white wine vinegar (10 mL, sub white vinegar)
- 1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste (I use a bit more)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, optional
- 2 average-sized cloves garlic (10 g)
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill (approx. 5 g, sub 2 tsp dried dill)
Instructions
- Place the grated cucumber in a fine sieve or colander and add a little pinch of salt, toss to combine. Set aside in the sink or over a bowl.
- Add everything else, except for the fresh dill to a blender or use an immersion blender in a suitable container and blend into a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Transfer to a serving bowl or storage container and stir in the chopped dill.
- Go back to the cucumber and start squeezing and working the water out using your hands. Spend a little time here, the more water you can squeeze out the better. You can also transfer it to a dish towel, wrap the towel around it to form a ball and twist and squeeze to get more water out. Keep working on it until you have roughly a ball you can squeeze in one hand, or about 1/3-1/2 cup.
- Add the drained cucumber to the tofu mixture and stir to thoroughly combine.
- You can serve right away or place in the fridge for an hour or two before serving for more flavour.
- Store the dip in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
The cucumber can be drained using your hands or by placing it in a dish towel or paper towels and squeezing. The dish towel method is the most effective – place the grated cucumber in the middle of a towel, wrap it up and tightly squeeze tightly until it’s no longer dripping liquid.
This can also be made with cashew cream, vegan sour cream or coconut yogurt instead of tofu but I like tofu best here. I couldn’t find a coconut yogurt I liked enough to use in this. If you have one you enjoy, that’s plain, tangy and doesn’t have an overwhelming coconut flavour, you can try it to replace the tofu. A store-bought vegan sour cream could also work – if using, omit the olive oil. For cashews, use 1 cup of cashews soaked overnight and drained, blended with 3/4 cup of water.
The olive oil thickens the tzatziki and makes it creamier but if you need the recipe to be oil-free, it’s okay to leave it out. I prefer it with the olive oil.
It will thicken in the fridge and there may be some excess water on top after storing depending on how well you drained the cucumber, just drain if off before serving.
Adapted from Minimalist Baker and Cookie + Kate.
Serve with this baked falafel or add to this shawarma salad, cauliflower tabouli bowl or Mediterranean farro bowl.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tbsp
- Calories: 41
- Sodium: 98 mg
- Fat: 2.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 0.8 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 3.7 g