Certain tastes are loaded with cheerful nostalgia. These molasses cookies…
Tzatziki (AIP, Paleo, SCD)
When I first learned as a little girl that my paternal great-grandmother immigrated to England from Greece, I became fixated on this bit of my heritage. “I’m one-eighth Greek, you know,” I would proudly spout to new acquaintances and old friends alike. (Forthright, not-so-shy seven-year-olds can be a quirky bunch, can’t they?)
Every summer at Heritage Days, a festival celebrating Canada’s mosaic of multiculturalism, my dad and I would beeline for the souvlaki at the Greek exhibit, our palates eagerly anticipating the hellishly good combo of perfectly seasoned grilled meat smothered in tzatziki – a tangy, creamy sauce that would become increasingly and delightfully viscous next to hot chunks of fresh-off-the-grill chicken. Ahhh, yeah. We were groovin’ on that deliciousness.
But then my dairy-free days hit, and I couldn’t participate in this culinary ritual…until now! I’ve never forgotten tzatziki – a condiment that is dreamily well-rounded in flavour and superb on both veggies and meat. That food memory is the inspiration for this recipe. All you dairy-free peeps are going to love this tzatziki. Serve it up with Buttery Baked Pita Crisps, veggie sticks, grilled chicken, or these Greek Meatballs — nom NOM!
NOTE: Check out Laura Vein’s Two-Ingredient Instant Pot Coconut Yogurt, which can be used as a base for this recipe and keep it vegan. If you don’t have an instant pot, don’t fret because you can follow Sarah Ballantyne’s oven method found on pages 118-119 of The Paleo Approach Cookbook.
Tzatziki (AIP, Paleo, SCD)
Prep time
Total time
Author: Martine Partridge
Recipe type: Condiment
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 2 cups
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 c. coconut yogurt
- 1 c. cucumber, peeled and coarsely grated or minced
- 1 tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tsp. fresh mint, chopped (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
Instructions
- Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic with the coconut yogurt. Stir in cucumber, dill and optional mint. Season with salt.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour prior to serving for flavors to blend.
