Vegan Tzatziki Sauce

This vegan tzatziki is made up of just 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and is ready in minutes! The result is a creamy, garlicky, light, and refreshing dairy-free yogurt sauce perfect for serving alongside all kinds of meals!

Light and Refreshing Dairy-Free Tzatziki Sauce

Last week I shared delicious Greek tomato rice, and now it’s time for its accompaniments, including vegan gyro and this vegan tzatziki sauce recipe. Combining just 5 simple ingredients and under 10 minutes, this creamy Greek sauce is the perfect addition to many meals as it’s healthy, light, and refreshing.

Unlike several vegan versions, this gyro sauce is soy-free and nut-free. In fact, with a simple combination of yogurt, cucumber, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper, this tzatziki is gluten-free, dairy-free, pantry-friendly, and even budget-friendly. It’s also an excellent addition to your Summer recipe repertoire for any potluck, BBQ, or picnic spread alongside crudités, pita bread, falafel, salads, and other dips like hummus!

What is Tzatziki?

Tzatziki sauce is a Greek cucumber and yogurt-based dish (usually served as an appetizer/’mezze’), traditionally made with garlic, salt, and olive oil. While many versions also contain herbs like mint and dill, apparently authentic tzatziki rarely includes this. There is a version in Cyprus, though (called ‘talatouri’) that includes mint and lemon juice (in place of vinegar).

There are actually several similar creamy cucumber dishes globally, including Indian raita and a ‘soup’-like dish called ‘tarator.

For this vegan tzatziki recipe, I’ve tried to stick close to authentic tzatziki but 100% dairy-free. However, I’ve also included several popular add-ins, so you can adjust the recipe to your liking!

The Ingredients

• Yogurt: Use any thick, plain (unsweetened) dairy-free yogurt -such as coconut, soy, or even a Greek-style vegan yogurt for this sauce.
• Garlic: Authentic tzatziki is usually heavy on the garlic, and that’s great for me! Feel free to adjust the amount to personal preference, though.
• Cucumber: I use unpeeled cucumber. It’s best to use a low-seed variety like Persian or English cucumber.
• Olive oil: Use high-quality olive oil to add a little flavor and a smooth texture to the gyro sauce.
• Vinegar: I used vinegar, which is the authentic choice, though you can experiment with different varieties or even lemon juice.
• Salt & Pepper

Optional Add-ins

There are several ways to adapt this tzatziki recipe, including:

• Herbs: You can add dill, mint, oregano, or even a combination of two.
• Spice: though not authentic, feel free to add a pinch of red pepper flakes – either into the cucumber sauce or to garnish.
• Nuts: Crushed walnuts are a popular addition to dairy-free tzatziki and can be used either inside or to garnish the yogurt sauce.
• Vegan mayonnaise: This might sound odd, but substituting a couple of spoonfuls of yogurt for a dairy-free mayonnaise helps yield a richer, thicker vegan tzatziki sauce recipe.

Please read the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, measurements, complete method, and nutritional information.

How to Make Vegan Tzatziki

• First, grate the cucumber using the large holes of a grater (or food processor disk) and then lightly squeeze it with your hands over a bowl to remove most of the moisture.

You could also use a fine mesh sieve or kitchen towel to drain the cucumber. Like my German Gurkensalat, you could also optionally ‘salt’ the cucumber to draw out all the excess liquid.

• Transfer the drained cucumber to a bowl with the yogurt and all remaining ingredients, and stir to combine.
• Taste the tzatziki and adjust to your personal taste—more vinegar for tang, salt and pepper, garlic, etc. Then enjoy!

If you have the patience, I recommend allowing the tzatziki to marinate for 1-2 hours in the fridge. This will allow the flavor to meld and develop for an overall better final taste.

How to Store

As long as the cucumber was well-drained, the leftover tzatziki should last several days (3-5) in the refrigerator when covered. Feel free to add a little more vinegar/seasoning if needed before serving.

This sauce is not freezer-friendly, as freezing will affect the texture of the cucumber.

How to Serve

This Mediterranean appetizer/sauce is perfect for serving as part of a spread for a potluck, BBQs, and picnics- as well as:

• With a pita wrap
• Alongside vegan gyro/kebabs and a flatbread like a naan
• With a shawarma sandwich or wrap
• As a dip for crudités like celery, crackers, and even plantain chips.
• A dip for fries like these carrot fries and polenta fries.
• Dollop the cucumber sauce over or serve alongside small bites like falafels, fritters (like these veggie, cauliflower, and millet fritters), and patties
• Serve as a side dish with summery mains like mushroom or cauliflower steaks
• As part of a Greek/Mediterranean salad or buddha bowl

Recipe Notes and FAQs

• Drain the cucumber well: If you don’t, the sauce will get watery and unpleasant much sooner. The only time it’s not AS important is if you plan on eating it all in one go.
• It’s best to marinate: While it’s not essential, I DO recommend leaving the tzatziki to marinate for 2+hours for the best overall flavor.
• If your yogurt isn’t thick enough: You can manually strain it through several layers of cheesecloth or a nut milk bag, allowing the excess liquid to drain for a thicker yogurt. This will take several hours (possibly even overnight) based on how thick the yogurt is.
• If your cucumber has lots of seeds: You might prefer to de-seed it first before grating. That way, it won’t water down the dairy-free tzatziki.

More Healthy Vegan Dip/Sauce Recipes

• Vegan French onion dip
• Spinach artichoke dip
• Easy peanut sauce
• Yum Yum sauce
• Keto BBQ sauce
• Chinese garlic sauce
• Homemade hoisin sauce

If you try this vegan tzatziki sauce recipe, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, please don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan #elavegan – I love seeing them.