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Best Vegan Tzatziki Sauce

May 18, 2020 by Connie Edwards McGaughy 3 Comments

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Best Vegan Tzatziki Sauce 🌱A deliciously creamy and refreshing fusion of raw cashews, cucumber, dill & tart lemon. We’ve transformed this classic greek yogurt sauce into an easy vegan recipe & made it even better – it’s dairy free, oil free, and gluten free!

overhead image of vegan tzatziki sauce and pita bread

There’s nothing quite like a dish of chilled tzatziki sauce served with soft, warm pita bread. Yum!

easy vegan tzatziki sauce with pita

The first time I tasted really great 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 and an amazing tzatziki sauce. Everyday, for 5-1/2 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.

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vegan tzatziki with pita

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 tzatziki exactly how I like it.

What is Tzatziki Sauce?

vegan tzatziki in jars

Traditional Greek tzatziki sauce, is made with yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill (sometimes mint) and olive oil. Served chilled, as an appetizer or starter with pita bread, tzatziki sauce has a refreshing, cool, tangy flavor. 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.

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.

Enjoy this healthy & delicious sauce with:

  • Fresh veggies
  • Baked potatoes
  • French fried potatoes or sweet potatoes
  • Salads – as a dressing
  • Steamed or roasted veggies
  • Falafel
  • 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
  • Or anything else you can imagine!
vegan falafel sandwich with tzatziki sauce

Drizzle some on a falafel sandwich. It’s SO GOOD!

How to Make the Best Vegan Tzatziki Sauce

  • ingredients for vegan tzatziki sauce

Had I known just how easy it is to make the best vegan tzatziki sauce, I would have been whipping up batches of this years ago!

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
vegan tzatziki sauce ingredients

This recipe requires only a few basic ingredients

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

🥕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.

soaking cashews in boiling water
  • soaking raw cashews in boiling water
  • soaked raw cashews in blender
  • blended cashews and cucumber

Follow the simple instructions below to make this scrumptious sauce.

vegan tzatziki sauce with dill

This recipe makes roughly two pints of tzatziki sauce. Store it in the fridge for up to 3 days – that is – if you don’t gobble it up sooner!

vegan tzatziki
vegan tzatziki sauce in jars

very vegan 🌱 very good

overhead image of vegan tzatziki sauce and pita bread

Best Vegan Tzatziki Sauce

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Soak cashews: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 16
Calories: 71kcal
Author: Connie 🥕
Best Vegan Tzatziki Sauce 🌱A deliciously creamy and refreshing fusion of raw cashews, cucumber, dill & tart lemon. We've made this easy vegan recipe even better – it's dairy free, oil free, and gluten free!
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • blender or food processor
  • Medium size bowl
  • Grater
  • Measuring cup
  • Measuring spoons
  • Citrus juicer
  • veggie peeler
  • kitchen knife
  • silicone spatula or scraper

Ingredients

  • 1 – 1/2 C cashews raw, soaked – see notes below
  • 1 large cucumber peeled & grated
  • 2 cloves garlic minced – large cloves – see notes below
  • 3/4 tsp sea salt add more if needed to taste
  • 6 tbsp lemon juice adjust as needed
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 3/4 C water use less if you want a thicker consistency
  • 4 tbsp fresh dill minced
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper ground – to taste

Instructions

  • Place pre-soaked cashews in blender or food processor. (See notes below for soaking methods)
  • 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.
  • Add extra salt, pepper, or lemon as needed, to taste.
  • Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes

🥕Raw cashews need to be soaked before using them in this recipe. You can soak them in water overnight in the fridge, or, if you’re short on time, you can boil them for 15 minutes on the stove. Rinse thoroughly under cold water and drain. I prefer to preserve more of the nutrients, so here’s how I do it: Place cashews in a bowl, cover with with boiling water and allow them to sit for 1 – 3 hours. The longer they soak, the softer they’ll get and the creamier your sauce. I find 1-1/2 to 2 hrs is enough time for this recipe. Be sure to throughly rinse (in cold water) and drain the cashews before adding them to the blender.
🥕Depending on the size of your garlic cloves and how much you love garlic, adjust the quantity you use to your taste. Personally, I find 2 large cloves to be just right for me.
 
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 109mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? I love to see your photos!Mention @thecarrotunderground or tag #thecarrotunderground!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please consider rating it using stars in the comments below. It helps other readers and allows more people to find it online. I love hearing from you! Let’s keep in touch!

If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please consider rating it using stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️in the comments below. It helps other readers and allows more people to find it online. I love hearing from you! Let’s keep in touch!

Filed Under: Appetizers, Brunch, Condiments, Dinner, gluten-free, Homepage Slideshow, Labor Day, Lunch, Outdoor Entertaining, Plant Based, Potluck, Side Dish, Spring, Summer, Vegan Dressings and Spreads, Vegan Recipes, Vegan Sauces, WFPB, WFPB oil-free, Whole Food Plant Based Tagged With: best vegan tzatziki sauce recipe, cashew tzatziki, dairy free tzatziki, easy vegan tzatziki sauce, easy vegan tzatziki sauce recipe, oil free tzatziki sauce, plant based tzatziki recipe, vegan, vegan greek tzatziki sauce recipe, vegan tzatziki, vegan tzatziki recipe

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Esther

    September 7, 2020 at 4:44 pm

    Can I use white beans instead of cashews

    Reply
    • Connie Edwards McGaughy

      September 7, 2020 at 6:58 pm

      Hi Esther – I haven’t tried substituting the cashews in this recipe before, so I’m not sure how it will work with white beans. My guess is it will be more like hummus in texture. I’d love to hear about it if you give it a try!🥕

      Reply
  2. Connie Edwards McGaughy

    December 9, 2020 at 7:39 am

    5 stars
    I’m crazy about tzatziki sauce. This recipe is the ideal plant-based version of classic tzatziki – creamy, thick, lightly tart and so refreshing with fresh cucumber and dill!🌱

    Reply

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