Tzatziki is a super simple Greek sauce made using yogurt, cucumber and fresh herbs, and the perfect dip or sauce for just about anything.

One of my favorite dinners ever is one made up of appetizers or little snacks. Give me charcuterie and bread, simple little crostini, or a myriad of spreads and I’m a happy girl. A few months back, people started calling this type of dinner “girl dinner.” But I don’t really love that term for a number of reasons so I’m calling it “appetizer dinner”. And in all honestly, if you give me enough appetizers to fill me up, I’m going to enjoy that dinner more than maybe any dinner in the world. I recently found that I had the house to myself on a Saturday night (a rare occurrence). So I decided this was exactly the kind of dinner I was going to have. And this quick and easy homemade tzatziki was the perfect accompaniment for my little mezze spread.

I think most of the world knows what tzatziki is, but just in case you don’t here a quick little run down. Tzatziki is essentially a yogurt dip or sauce made using cucumber, herbs and garlic. Traditionally tzatziki is made with strained (and thickened) sheep’s or goat’s milk. But yogurt is an easy stand in for this. I like to think of it as a savory yogurt of sorts. Instead of honey and fruit, you’ll jazz up this yogurt with garlic and fresh herbs. And as like I say about so much of my cooking, if you use the freshest, most high quality ingredients you can get your hands on, you can turn a handful of simple ingredients into something truly magical.

A SLIGHT SPIN ON A CLASSIC

One of the most beautiful things about tzatziki is how easy it is to make. And if I’m being completely honest, I actually went against tradition to make this tzatziki even easier. Traditionally, you’re supposed to grate the cucumbers for this dip. But since I didn’t feel like getting out the box grater, I simply chopped them finely. You’ll want to use a cucumber with a thinner skin and less seeds, like an English cucumber or the little mini ones (which is what I used). And after chopping them, toss them with a little bit of salt and let them sit. This will draw a lot of the water out of the cucumber, leaving your tzatziki as thick as possible.

I also did one more slightly non-traditional thing when making this dip. I added tons of lemon zest, to really brighten it up. Tzatziki is already such a fresh, bright condiment. The lemon zest only adds to this, and brings one more extra dimension of flavor to a classically simple recipe. And if you wanted to shirk tradition even more, you could make yours with an herb other than mint or dill. I did choose to make mine with dill, because it happens to be one of my favorites. But what the herbs really bring to this dish is that signature freshness, so while it may taste a little different with another fresh herb, the spirt of tzatziki will still be there.

SERVING TZATZIKI

The only thing better than how easy tzatziki is to make is how versatile it is. You could choose to serve your sauce mezze style, as I did, with a bevy of other dips and little salads. My beet hummus, tomato and eggplant ciambotta, tomato and olive salad or quick flatbread would all be great options for a mezze plate or appetizer dinner. Or, you can use tzatziki as an accompaniment for a larger meal. Of course it goes well with falafel or on a gyro. But try it with simple grilled chicken or fish, or even as a fresh and bright offset to a hearty steak. However you choose to serve it, this tzatziki is the perfect quick and easy sauce for just about any meal.