Who knew that making your own Dairy-free Tzatziki Sauce would be so easy? This creamy vegan tzatziki recipe is loaded with fresh dill, cucumbers and fresh garlic for traditional tzatziki taste.
Non-dairy tzatziki sauce is pareve and Kosher for Passover. It’s also the perfect recipe to have on hand so you can add it to your vegan swawarma, falafel, roasted eggplant , grain-free tabbouleh, and all the yummy mediterranean recipes.
Ingredient Notes
- Cashews: You could use dairy-free yogurt, vegan sour cream, coconut yogurt, or silken tofu instead of the water and cashews. They’re all great for creamy sauces.
- Cucumber: Fresh cucumbers like persian cucumbers or a long english cucumber tend to have the least seeds.
- Acid: combo of vinegar and fresh lemon is key for the tangy taste, mimicing the traditional greek yogurt flavor in many tzatziki recipes.
- Fresh dill: Fresh herbs give this a gorgeous color and vibrant taste. Substitute with fresh mint, parsley or oregano.
Step by Step
Cover cashews with cold water and soak for 2-4 hours…or use boiling water and soak for 30 minutes.
Use the side of a box grater to shred the cucumber. No need to peel.
Gather grated cucumber in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel to squeeze out excess moisture.
Drain and rinse cashews, add to blender or food processor along with lemon juice, lemon zest, apple cider vinegar, fresh herbs, seasonings and grated cucumber.
Process for about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and process again. Add 1 Tablespoon water at a time and then pulse…using as much water as needed for desired consistency. Aim for a thick sauce that mimics regular greek yogurt.
Debra’s Pro Tips
- Zest and juice the lemon right over the bowl of your food processor or blender for less cleanup.
- During Passover, add some grated fresh horseradish root!
- You can find plain vegan yogurt in grocery stores and use instead of the cashews and vinegar, and the result will still be a delicious vegan tzatziki…but I prefer this completely plant-based dairy free version made with cashews.
- This is my go-to sauce recipe whenever I make baked falafel, vegan gyros, or mediterranean eggplant. It’s the perfect addition to a mezze platter or just drizzling onto veggies in pita bread, or using as a dipping sauce for raw vegetables.
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📖 Recipe
Dairy-free Tzatziki
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes, or more.
- ¾ cup persian cucumber, shredded
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 1 ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 2 tablespoon fresh dill
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Pour boiling water over cashews and let sit for a minimum 30 minutes. Drain, rinse and drain again.
- Use the side of box grater with the large holes and grate the cucumber. No need to peel. Measure ¾ cup, then place onto a clean kitchen towel or a few paper towels. Gather and squeeze over sink as much liquid out as possible.
- To the bowl of a food processor, add the drained cashews, shredded cucumber, apple cider vinegar, dill, salt and pepper. Use a microplane to zest the garlic and lemon. Squeeze the lemon over the processor bowl.
- Process until smooth. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is acheived.
- Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle on additional fresh dill, drizzle on olive oil or sprinkle on crushed red pepper, as desired.
Notes
- Store: Homemade tzatziki will stay good in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freeze: I do not recommend freezing, as the texture will be altered when it defrosts.
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Shirley
Do you have a suggestion for nut free?
Debra Klein
Can you do seeds? I have made this with hemp seeds with awesome results.