Best Vegan Tzatziki Sauce (without yogurt)

Best Vegan Tzatziki Sauce 🌱 We've transformed a classic Greek yogurt sauce into an easy & delicious vegan recipe made without yogurt, created instead with a creamy and refreshing fusion of cashews, cucumber, dill & tart lemon. Dairy free, GF & no added oil.

The first time I tasted tzatziki, I was hooked.

Years ago, I was working as an art consultant at a waterfront gallery in downtown San Diego. Nearby, was a popular family-owned Greek restaurant that offered a fantastic Greek salad served with warm pita bread, yummy hummus, and an amazing tzatziki sauce. Everyday, for 5-½ years (I'm not kidding), I ordered that fabulous salad combo. I loved their tzatziki so much, I would get two servings, saving one as my dessert. It was that good.

When I became vegan, I pretty much resigned myself to the idea that tzatziki and I were likely no longer going to be a thing. There just weren't any plain vegan yogurts available that had the right taste or texture to replicate what I loved so much about traditional tzatziki. It wasn't until I learned how ideal raw cashews are for making rich, creamy yogurt-like sauces and cheeses, that I found a way to make the best tzatziki sauce exactly how I like it.

Jump to:

• 🌱 Serving tips
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• 🌱 FAQ's
• Recipe
• Food Safety

What is Tzatziki Sauce?

Traditional Greek tzatziki sauce, is made with yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill (sometimes mint) and olive oil. Tzatziki sauce has a refreshing, cool, tangy flavor. It is traditionally served chilled, as a dip with pita bread or a condiment for falafels or veggies. If you're wondering how to pronounce the word "tzatziki", phonetically it sounds something like this: "tsah-see-key." Imagine blending the t and z together. It's ok, just say it quickly and no one will know the difference.

🌱 Serving tips

Enjoy this healthy & delicious vegan tzatziki sauce with:

• French fried, baked or roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes
• Salads - as a dressing
• Fresh, steamed or roasted veggies or garden zucchini casserole
• Falafel or meatballs
• Vegan spanakopita
• Vegan dolmades (stuffed grape leaves)
• Tofu
• Steamed artichokes - as a dipping sauce
• As a sandwich spread
• With crackers, toasted baguettes or pita bread

🌱 How do you make the best vegan tzatziki without yogurt?

Making your own homemade vegan tzatziki is easy and delish! Once you see how simple it is to prepare, I think you will likely add this recipe to your favorites!

Here are the kitchen tools you'll need:

• Blender or food processor
• Medium bowl
• Measuring cup
• Measuring spoons
• Veggie peeler
• Grater
• Citrus juicer
• Spatula
• Knife

🥕 See the printable recipe card below for quantities & details.

Ingredients

This recipe requires only a few basic ingredients

• Cashews - raw
• Cucumber
• Fresh garlic
• Fresh dill
• Lemon juice
• Vinegar
• Water
• Salt & pepper

Instructions

Step 1 - Soak cashews

🥕NOTE: Be sure to use raw (not roasted) cashews. First thing you'll need to do is pre-soak your cashews. You can either soak them in water overnight or, a quicker method is to cover them in boiling water and allow them to sit for 1-3 hours. Be sure to drain and rinse the soaked cashews before using.

Step 2 - Blend

• Place pre-soaked cashews in blender or food processor.
• Add water, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt & pepper.
• Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy.

• Add grated cucumber and dill.

• Pulse briefly or hand stir, just to combine.
• That's it! You're done!

This recipe makes almost two pints of amazing homemade vegan tzatziki sauce.

What do you put tzatziki sauce on?

This easy vegan tzatziki sauce is perfect as an appetizer or as a condiment. I love serving it as a starter paired with a Greek salad, warm garlic bread and our Heavenly Hummus. You won't believe how good it is served with Vegan Mediterranean Roasted Veggies or with our Vegan Meatless Meatballs.

🌱 FAQ's

very vegan 🌱 very good

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please rate it using stars in the comment section below.

Thanks a bunch!🥕

Recipe

Food Safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.