How Do I Make the Dill Dressing Served With Greek Food? Good Questions

Q: I have always loved, loved, loved the dill dressing that Greek restaurants serve with salads and souvlakis, but I have never ever had luck with making it in my own kitchen.

Does this stuff just come in giant chemical-laced tubs, or is it possible to make a good (and natural!) approximation at home?
— Jessica

Editor: Jessica, the dressing is called tzatziki, or tzadziki, so try searching for recipes under those words. Also, here is one recipe from a Greek blogger, and it looks wonderful!

• Cucumber & Dill Dressing at Kalofagas

Readers, any other thoughts or good recipes to try?

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(Image: Flickr member Kristie's NaturesPortraits licensed for use under Creative Commons)

Comments (10)

tzaziki is one of the easiest dips ever.. a little time intensive if you strain the yogurt..but, oh so worth it!

Try this: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tzatziki-Sauce/Detail.aspx recipe.
Strain the yogurt first til its a firmer consistency..and put some salt on the cucumbers to draw out some of the liquid before adding to the mixture.

I feel the same way about tzatziki--LOVE it! I learned how to make it from Mark Bittman's book How to Cook Everything. And it's remarkably versatile, too! Once you discover the ease of yogurt-based sauces, you can change them at-will... I like to add avocado: http://sustainablediet.blogspot.com/2009/01/improv-lunch.html

It's great, versatile stuff, some versions have citrus in it and some have vinegar for the acid. I like to make the basic recipe, then vary it with different herbs, different citrus, occasionally thin it with a little buttermilk to make a dressing, it's great on fish like halibut (made without the dill and using ginger and blood orange juice) and makes a terrific dip for crudite. Here's another version so you can compare recipes and come up with one that's closest to what you usually have:

http://realgreekrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/03/tztziki.html

I tend to prefer the version made with Greek-style yogurt but if you drain your yogurt you can make most good quality versions work very well.

It's actually kind of healthy...at least it's fresh and natural anyway.

I've been making variations on this all summer - it's quite easy and a nice use for the homemade yogurt we've been making. I usually do cucumber yogurt lemon salt and then whatever herbs we have. Works great with all sorts of things (I do turkey-feta burgers and this is a great side / sauce for them).

Oy! I tried the Kalofagas recipe last night and it ROCKETH MIGHTILY! Of course, use the freshest ingredients, and if you stick to real greek yogurt (like fage), then no need to strain anything but the cucumbers! It was really good on the rosemary lamb skewers we dreamed up, and slathered on whole wheat pitas...

I frequently use the one from Whole Foods: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipeId=2321
It uses Greek yogurt, so you don't need to do any straining. And if you want to use dill, you could just substitute it for the mint or basil that this recipe calls for.

Can I share my recipe with you? It is very popular, and thicker than the stuff you get in the restaurants.

1 1-qt. plain yoghurt (I use Mountain High)
1 English (seedless) cucumber (the ones in plastic)
a small head of garlic (you can use less, but you really want that zing!)
red wine vinegar
mint or dill or whatever you have that's fresh
olive oil

1. Empty the yoghurt into a tea towel (save the container). Tie it up tightly with a rubber band and jury-rig it to a container so that the bottom of the bag doesn't touch the bottom of the container (I use juice pitchers for this and the cucumber). Put in the fridge and leave overnight.
2. Seed the seedless cucumbers (scrape a spoon down the middle of the cucumber), roughly chop so they fit into a food processor (leave the skin on). Process until the pieces are small, but don't puree the stuff. You can also finely chop with a knife.
3. Put the large-minced cucumber into a different tea towel, tie tightly with a rubber band and fasten to a container to drain. Put in the fridge and leave overnight.
4. Wash out the yoghurt container. Go to bed. ... Wake up.
5. Good morning! Now, take the yoghurt and cucumber out of the fridge. Free them from their bands and scrape them from their towels and into the yoghurt tub. Bowl scrapers are really handy for this.
6. Peel and mince your garlic. Add it to the container.
7. Chop up your herb (mint, dill, both, whatever) and add it, too. (If you don't have any fresh herbs, it's OK to use the dried stuff.)
8. Add a splash of red wine vinegar (or lemon juice, or both) and a drizzle or two of olive oil. Stir this all up (carefully).
9. Taste, add salt and/or pepper if you feel it needs it. EAT!

This stuff is fantastic! P.S. - You will need to stir it before serving after the first day as it will naturally separate a little.