Creamy, Dairy-free Tzatziki Sauce with Fresh Dill and Cucumber

Tzatziki sauce is a creamy, tangy yogurt sauce, and a popular topping in authentic Greek cuisine. Although most Tzatziki sauces are made with dairy, it's so easy to make a vegan version with cashews and/or a dairy-free yogurt and still have amazing flavor.

One of the most popular ways to enjoy Tzatziki is over gyros, but I prefer to have it drizzled over a Greek salad with chickpeas or as a dip for baked falafels. You could also serve it with a crudite platter for a simple, but elegant party starter.

Any way you serve it...this vegan Tzatziki sauce is going to make your dish pop with a tanginess from the dairy and light, freshness from the dill and cucumber.

Dairy-free Tzatziki Sauce with Fresh Dill and Cucumber

By Chef Katie Mae

Makes about 1¼ cups | Ready in 20 minutes, not including culture time
| Stores 1 week in fridge

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup raw, unsalted cashews
• ½ cup water
• 1 teaspoon white/yellow miso OR salt-free seasoning (i.e. Benson’s Table Tasty)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 large garlic clove OR ½ teaspoon garlic granules
• ½ tablespoon minced fresh dill OR ½ teaspoon dried dill
• ½ cucumber, finely diced or grated

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the cashews, water, and miso into a high-powered blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Transfer the cashew cream to a glass bowl and cover. Let it sit out at room temperature for up to 24 hours to culture the nuts. The longer it sits for, the more sharpness and tang the cream will develop. Once it has your desired sharpness, set it in the fridge until you’re ready to finish the tzatziki sauce.
3. Add the cultured cashew cheese, lemon juice, garlic, dill, and cucumber to a small mixing bowl. Stir well.
4. Cover and store in the refrigerator until using. The flavor will be best if chilled. Stir before using.

CHEF'S NOTES

If you make this recipe in advance, add the dill just before serving so it doesn't overwhelm the other flavors in the sauce.

If you avoid salt in your diet and prefer to keep this recipe free of all added sodium, then don’t use the miso and replace it with salt-free seasoning. Be aware that the culturing process in step 2 will only work if you use miso or rejuvelac. If you use the salt-free seasoning, then skip please step 2.

If you don’t have the time or desire to culture the cashew cheese, you can skip step 2. Instead, you can either 1) replace ½ of the cashews and ½ of the water with ½ cup of dairy-free yogurt, or 2) replace all of the cashew and water with 1 cup of dairy-free yogurt.

If you want to skip the nuts in this sauce, you can do that too. As long as you don’t do step 2, feel free to substitute the nuts for white beans, specifically cannelloni or Great Northern beans. This last option will mean less fat and calories, but it will also lead to a less creamy sauce without a tanginess.