ORIGINAL GREEK SALAD TZATZIKI
- Adelka 's Kitchen
- Jul 18
- 5 min read
Recipe for original Greek tzatziki /read cacikiki/.
You only need a few ingredients and you have a summer salad from Greece on the table.
MY FIRST MEMORY OF A GENUINE GREEK TZATZIKA
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It's been an incredible 30 years since I first visited Greece . That beautiful, sun-drenched country where the best food is served.
Not because of their complexity. Quite the opposite. They are simple, refined, full of local vegetables.
Their magic lies in the ingredients. Tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, eggplant, olives... all of these grow all over Greece under the Mediterranean sun and sea air, and it's not for nothing that it used to be the land of the gods.
I was lucky enough to come to Greece when tourism was just starting on the small islands, and thanks to that I got to experience the food prepared by the locals with enthusiasm and love. I have the most beautiful memories of the island of Thassos!
Right at dinner, as the first course, I got tzatziki as an appetizer . They were so fresh and delicious!!
Even though most of the dishes were new to me at the time, I had to try absolutely everything, so tzatziki struck me as a whiff of something very close and familiar.
Only when I got home did I realize that we used to make this kind of salad at home. It was just not called tzatziki , but cucumber salad with cream. And we didn't grate the cucumber, but cut it into small cubes.
Otherwise, everything else was there - cucumbers, cream, dill, cenak.
Thanks to globalization, we can now also commonly get Greek yogurt and olive oil in the supermarket, so we can safely prepare Greek salad in Slovakia too.
🧄 RUMORS AND OBJECTIONS: how to make real Greek tzatziki
Tzatziki may seem like an exotic Greek delicacy, but it's actually one of the simplest and most rewarding salads I know. It's made with just a few ingredients – fresh cucumber, Greek yogurt, garlic, dill, a little salt, and good quality olive oil.
And despite their simplicity, people often make a surprising number of mistakes with them. Here are the most common ones – and my tried-and-true tips for avoiding them:
❌ 3 most common rumors about tzatziki:
1. “You need special tzatziki seasoning” – no, you don’t. Forget the dried garlic and dried dill from the fancy packages. Real tzatziki shines thanks to fresh ingredients , not artificial mixes.
2. “You need to put a lot of spices in it” – true Greek tzatziki is clean, fresh and minimalist. No oregano, black pepper or lemon juice belong there.
3. “It’s difficult and takes a lot of time” – not at all. If you can grate a cucumber and mix it with yogurt, you’re done.
✅ My tips for perfect caciks:
• Always grate the cucumber coarsely, salt it and squeeze it thoroughly – otherwise the water will separate after a few hours and you will be left with a “floating salad”.
• Use the thickest Greek yogurt possible (at least 10% fat) – cheap “Greek styles” don’t work as well. They drain faster.
• Don't skimp on the garlic or dill – their freshness is the basis of the whole flavor.
• If you want the tzatziki to last for 2–3 days , you can add a pinch of salt to the cucumber, let it “sweat” for a while, and then squeeze it. This will make a big difference. You can see the exact instructions on how to do this in the video.
INGREDIENTS
🥒 Authentic Greek tzatziki
Raw materials:
• 2 salad cucumbers
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 handful of fresh dill
• 300–500 g Greek yogurt (ideally thick, 10%)
• salt to taste (approx. 2 tsp)
• good quality olive oil for drizzling on top
HOW TO MAKE
1. Wash and partially peel the cucumbers – you don't have to peel them all. It's fine if a little green remains – it makes the salad prettier and fresher.
Use a small spoon to scoop out the watery center with the seeds.
3. Coarsely grate them , add about 1 tsp salt and place them in a sieve over a bowl. Let them drain for a while, then squeeze them out thoroughly (with your hand or a spoon). The more water you get out, the firmer the tzatziki will be.
You don't have to pour out this cucumber juice – if you don't mind the saltier taste, feel free to drink it. It's full of vitamins.
4. Put the yogurt in a larger bowl. Add to it:
• pressed or finely grated garlic
• finely chopped fresh dill
• remaining salt to taste
5. Stir the well-squeezed cucumbers into this mixture. Mix everything together thoroughly.
6. If you want to serve the tzatziki immediately, put it in a bowl, make a small indentation with a spoon and pour olive oil into it. Finally, garnish with pieces of fresh dill.
Your fresh, summery cucumber salad is ready. All you have to do is look forward to what you'll serve it with.
With grilled meat, as a side dish for pasta, or just on toast topped with olives and salty goat cheese.
🧊 Storage and durability:
• Tzatziki tastes great right away, but it's even better after a few hours in the refrigerator.
• If you don't use them right away, put them in an airtight container - because we removed the water and used yogurt and salt, they will last in the refrigerator for 7–10 days .
• They are often even better on the second or third day, when the flavors meld.
Enjoy a summer full of flavors, aromas and colors. Vegetables and fruits are in their best form now - just a few simple steps and you have something on your plate that tastes like a vacation.
PHOTO RECIPE
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