Tzatziki Recipe

Servings 2 ½ cups dip / 5 cups soup

2 cups 16 oz thick yogurt / 4 cups for a soup Greek yogurt is preferred, but you can mix any regular or low fat yogurt with thicker goat yogurt for rich flavor yet less calories
½ cup 4 oz sour cream skip and add more yogurt if you prefer less fat, but be warned: it will not taste as good!
2 to 8 cloves of garlic finely chopped we usually go with 4 cloves, but if you are a bigger garlic fan – go for it!
½ cup cucumber grated, unpeeled; we like the big English cucumbers or big green house cucumbers for this recipe; it will be about ½ a cucumber
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice freshly squeezed lemon juice is the best! try replacing with red wine vinegar for a more tangy flavor
2 tsp fresh dill minced; mint or a mix of the two
salt and crushed pepper to taste

Combine oil and lemon juice in a mixing bowl
Add yogurt, folding it in slowly, making sure it mixes fully with the oil. For thicker consistency consider draining the yogurt in cheese cloth for an hour before using it; for a soup consistency double the amount of yogurt
Add the chopped garlic; quantity according to taste
Add the coarsely grated cucumber; squeeze liquids out if you want a thicker consistency. Some take the cucumber seeds out: we don’t, hence the English variety – smaller softer seeds
Add the finely chopped herbs, salt and pepper. Stir until evenly distributed
Refrigerate for several hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend
Serve well chilled at a hot summer night: mix well before serving, and garnish with a bit of green and a drizzle of your finest olive oil