Friends! Guess what happened in my kitchen the other day? You guessed it already didn't you... you clever minx you. 😉 Yes, I filled a hole in my heart, and that hole was filled with Easy Vegan Tzatziki. Maybe it's a strange way to fill a hole in your heart, but I somehow feel more complete knowing I have this quick and easy recipe in my collection.
Tzatziki (←note to self, good scrabble word!), ehem, traditional tzatziki is made with Greek yogurt, so not vegan. I had a google around and found several vegan tzaziki recipes but they were made with vegan yogurt. Now there is nothing wrong with that, I'm sure it tastes fab, but for picky recipe writing me, I have two problems with that:
- Vegan store-bought yogurts are expensive.
- Vegan store-bought yogurts are hard to find.
These are two qualities I try hardest to avoid with my recipes as I try to make them with ingredients you can find at almost any grocery store. My discount grocery store down the street does NOT carry vegan yogurts, but you know what it does carry? Tofu.
The same idea I had for my Quick & Easy Vegan Cottage Cheese, and my Vegan Blue Cheese Dip, I used my good ol' friend. Oh, tofu, how you have saved me so many times. The cool thing about using tofu in this recipe is you can buy different firmnesses of tofu to result in either a thinner or thicker vegan tzatziki. Yeah, I know, pre-tay cool. Thank you dear tofu.
My fave texture was using medium-firm tofu for the optimal thick and creamy vegan tzatziki texture. But medium tofu will also work it will just be a tad runnier. And firm tofu will work but it will be a tad thicker and you may have to add a bit of water to help thin. The result? Cool cucumber, hints of garlic, perfect creamy vegan tzatziki every time.
To make Easy Vegan Tzatziki: add everything but the cucumber to a blender or food processor and pulse several times until smooth stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise then scoop out the seeds and discard (or save and toss into a smoothie later). The seed area is the wateriest area so removing this will help ensure a nice thick vegan tzatziki. Grate the seeded cucumber. Add the cucumber by picking it up by the handful and squeezing out excess water over the sink, then adding it to the blender or food processor. Pulse a couple of times to incorporate.
Tah dah! Now fair warning, this is a bit more on the creamy-yellow side of the white scale due to tofu not being perfectly white, but that hardly seems like a big deal to me when the flavour friends are all there.
Serve this as a dip with some veg and chopped up pita, or use on any of your favourite Greek foods. Omnomnom!
Easy Vegan Tzatziki
Ingredients
- 225 g medium-firm tofu, drained
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ English cucumber
Instructions
- Add everything but the cucumber to a blender or food processor and pulse several times until smooth stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
- Slice the cucumber in half lengthwise then scoop out the seeds and discard (or save and toss into a smoothie later). Grate the seeded cucumber. Add the cucumber by picking it up by the handful and squeezing out excess water over the sink, then adding it to the blender or food processor. Pulse a couple of times to incorporate.
Nutrition
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
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Brittany says
This recipe is great! I used to love Tzatziki but haven’t found any that really compare to the real thing, except for this, yum! I doubled the recipe so I could use all the tofu and some is in the fridge for later, which I know it will be awesome a little colder. Thanks for all your great recipes!
Jessie Ann says
This is amazing!! Can't believe using tofu can make it taste just like tzatziki. It's difficult for me to find vegan yogurt so this is a great alternative. I used double the apple cider vinegar, but I have a preference for things being more vinegar-tasting. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Susan Hennessy says
This is the BEST vegan Tzatziki recipe! And pretty darn good flavor for unsuspecting omnivores, too such as my husband. I'm afraid to tell him it is tofu because he loves this. The only change I make is in using red wine vinegar instead. Personally I just forgo the scooping the seeds and squeezing the liquid from the cucumbers. I like it a bit thinner. Thanks so much!
Melissa says
Great recipe! I added an extra Tablespoon of lemon juice and doubled the salt, and it tasted perfect. No one suspected this was anything other than regular tzatziki - served with Falafel for a dinner win!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, perfect 🙂
Karen Haworth says
Sam, once again you did not fail to succeed on a recipe. I made this to top some falafel wraps I made for dinner last night. My non-vegan husband loved it! Huge win! He scooped it on top of his falafel wrap as well as the quinoa tabouli salad I made to go with dinner. Not sure that's how you anticipated if being used, lol, but I was so happy he literally loved it. He never comments much about my food. He eats whatever I make without complaint. So, when he raves about something I know its a win! Thanks for always being my go-to source for recipes!
Tammy says
Amazing! I’ve been vegan now for about seven months and I’ve been craving Greek. Made this dish along with your Gyros. I wanted to take a photo but ate it too fast. So crazy delicious! Question I made too much of the Tzatziki so I’m wondering if it can be frozen as I don’t want to waste it. So good.
Taylor says
This was very surprisingly good. My sauce came out tofu tasting after I made it according to the recipe so I added a bit more salt and lemon juice than the recipe called for to mask the taste, and it worked perfectly. I plan to make this again and substitute fresh mint leaves for the dill.
Ariana says
I made this with Silken tofu and removed the water. I also omitted the oil didn’t miss it this recipe is a staple on Mediterranean food nights thank you!
Naomi says
I'm eating this right now with some flatbread and Greek salad. Yum! I didn't think I'd ever be able to eat tzatziki again on a WFPB diet without having to buy non-dairy yogurt. Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing!!
Sarah says
I love it! Thank you! But I'm still not sure if you are doing 225g or 1/2 of 225g of tofu?
Bailey says
225 g is the amount you need to use. Most tofu comes in 454g (1lb) packages, so half a pack is 225g (approx.) it’s a great recipe!
Sarah Frost says
Thank you! I thought so, but then my packet was 225g so I thought I'd double check as it did end up a bit thick even with the correct amount. I just added lemon and kombucha, and loved it!
Sam Turnbull says
Oh yes, I can see how that's confusing! I have updated the recipe for you. It should be 225g of tofu. 🙂
Ariane says
Dear Sam thank you! 1. Vegan store-bought yogurts are expensive. 2. Vegan store-bought yogurts are hard to find. (I am following you from Mexico.... Very few vegans here plus many ingredients are hard to find.) (You can also make a creamy base with cashews and water, it is also great!)
I need to thank you on your Pulled Jackfruit. I brought one back from the jungle and was very disappointed to see, it was still unripe when I cut it open! I didn't want to throw it away and...voilá: I found your recipe! Phantastic!!
Thanks again and keep up the good and very tasty work!!
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you're enjoying my recipes 🙂
Kristin says
Followed the recipe as is and it was delicious!! My husband, who loves traditional tzatiki, was SO happy with it. We had it on Greek bowls with quinoa, tomatoes, kalamata olives, roasted chickpeas + cucumber salad. YUM. We will definitely be making this again.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! Thrilled you loved it, Kristin 🙂
Sarah says
How long would this keep in the fridge!
Sam Turnbull says
I'd say 4 - 5 days 🙂
Stella says
I’m a little disappointed that this didn’t come out creamier, but I half expected that when I noticed the type of tofu you said to use. I feel that this would be better using a silken tofu. I even added a little water and more olive oil to see if I could get it creamier. The flavor is okay, but obviously not as fancy as a non vegan version, so that was also a little disappointing. I think that with some tweaking this could be really great, so I’ll definitely save it as some guidelines for a future try at vegan tzatziki!
Yulca says
I tried it with silken tofu once. It tasted great, but was more like a sauce, it just wouldn't stick to my chopped veggies. So now I'm back to medium-firm tofu :).
Yulca says
It. Is. So. GOOD!
Joey says
I just started a vegetarian diet (leaning vegan but not completely) just over a week ago and worried that I'd be able to find meals/recipes that my family would also eat. I'm so glad I found your blog! I do have a question for the tzatziki recipe...I assume you grate the cucumber WITH the peel, correct? Also, did you use store-bought pita bread, or did you happen to make your own (hint hint, recipe?).
Thanks for sharing so many recipes. It gives me a lot of hope that I'll be able to stick with my vegetarian/vegan diet journey!
Sam Turnbull says
Congrats on your journey! Yep, grate it with the peel. I just used store-bought pita, just double-check the ingredients to make sure it's vegan 🙂
LuvAlissa says
Great recipe! I LOVE garlic, but even for my taste, I found the garlic extremely strong. So next time, I will half it. I also added more lemon juice/ACV/EVOO to enhance/balance the flavours. Love the use of tofu for this dish... Always looking to add a little more protein to my diet!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed!
The Roses says
Loved this tzatziki sauce. We adjusted to our taste preferences thanks to the amazing recipe you provided, and there was nothing left to put away after dinner.
Your ideas, directions, valuable information and, of course, recipes are helping to turn my former carnivore to a predominantely plant based beau.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww so happy you loved it so much 🙂
Megan says
Simple to make and tastes good too! I had a more silken tofu (fresh made that I buy from a local) so I pressed it fiest to get out more liquid.
I put it over chickpea/veggie burgers in top of a bed of lettuce.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! SO happy you enjoyed it, Megan 🙂
Maree says
Just had to say I made this, and WOW! It was fantastic!! If anyone is on the fence, just make it. It's forgiving (I used firm tofu, less dill since I'm not a fan, and more lemon) but it. is. so. good. I pretty much could eat this on anything. I haven't had a good tzatziki since going plant-based 2 years ago, and I'm so, so happy. Thank you!!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww yay!! so thrilled you loved it so much, Maree 🙂
Erin says
Hi Sam,
This looks super delish- going to make it tomorrow. Just wondering how long does it keep in the fridge please? Thank you.
Sam Turnbull says
Great! I would say about 3 - 4 days. Enjoy!
Bre Wa says
Hi! How do I drain the tofu? Or do I buy tofu thats been drained?
Sam Turnbull says
Tofu often comes with a little extra water in the package. So when you open your package of tofu, just pour out any water that's in there (there might be a lot or there might be none), and proceed to use the tofu. That's how you drain it 🙂
Tina Law says
Hi Sam, I am sorry for contacting you this way but I couldn't figure out how else. I live in Spain and run a deli and am very interested in upping my game in vegan cooking, but it is still very hard to find ingredients here and if so, very expensive. I like your approach to keep things simple. My first question is If you can recommend a source where I can get Nutritional Yeast in bulk or wholesale, and whichever other ingredients you deem very important. What do I use in place of eggs to bind fritters ? And cream or cheese is done with blended cashews? Thank you so much for your inspiration.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Tina, welcome! I live in Canada, not Spain so I don't know where the best places for you to shop would be but you could google it and I'm sure you can find some good places. You can see my recipe for zucchini fritters here. And my cream cheese recipe here. Enjoy!
Yolanda Lonnie Pavey says
This is my go to recipe for tzatziki . It is simple and very, very delicious. It is a must with falafel ( vegan) and grilled eggplant.
Thank you for your recipes. It has made our choice of veganism delicious.
Sam Turnbull says
That's beautiful, Yolanda. Thrilled you are enjoying so much delicious vegan food 🙂
Cap'n Dave says
I'm not a big falafel fan, but I don't DIS-like it either - I guess it's just the recipe or where I get it from. Some I've had is WONDERFUL! Some? Eh, not so much. Now, a good one (when I find it) and some grilled eggplant? That sounds fantastic! Thanks for the idea, Yolanda!!! Now...to go hunting for *THE* perfect falafel recipe...
Irene says
I made this today and it’s incredible!!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!!
Christina says
Can’t believe how amazing this tastes and easy to make too! The recipe is a keeper!
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome! So happy you enjoyed it, Christina 🙂
Sara says
Wow. This is delicious! Thanks so much!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome! So happy you enjoyed 🙂
Lia says
This was fantastic! The absolute best vegan tzatziki ever. There is not a non-vegan on the planet who would be able to tell the difference between this and a traditional yogurt tzatziki. Totally customizable too. Add more herbs and garlic or use less to suit your taste buds. I forgot to add the olive oil and it was still amazing!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Lia 🙂
Sariah says
Oh yes!! Just made... So happy to find a recipe using tofu (love protein!!!) I too used firm tofu, extra firm actually I think, anyways, this is so good! I haven't had tzatziki since before being non vegan (like 3 years or so), so bless this post
Sam Turnbull says
Haha so happy you enjoyed it, Sariah!
Susan says
I tried this. The garlic and dill flavors were good but the tofu flavor came through a bit too strong for me. I guess the real tzatziki flavors are still too fresh in my mind since I've only been vegan about 6 months. 🙂 Maybe I'll try again in a year or two.
Sam Turnbull says
I would try a different brand of tofu. Some have more flavour that others.
Susan says
Thank you Sam! That is good to know. I guess it makes sense but I just never thought that different brands of tofu would have different tastes 🙂
Ashley says
Just made this and it was great! Going to make your veggie gyro next to go with it 🙂 keep up the great work!
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome!! So happy you enjoyed it, Ashley 🙂
Sarah says
I just made this for dinner and it was AMAZING! It went great with falafels and veggies but I’m seriously considering putting it on everything.... I went a little crazy with the garlic (garlic and I have a strong relationship) but next time I will use two cloves as instructed, or three. I used extra firm tofu and didn’t press it and a regular cucumber (using half of the grated amount in the blender unsqueezed and the remainder squeezed and stirred in. I believe this to be an incredibly forgiving recipe and I suggest making it ASAP. P.S. The pumpkin pie recipe is mind-blowing! Thank you, Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha, wonderful! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much, Sarah 🙂
Diana says
Have you tried freezing it? How does it hold up? Thanks
Ash says
Hi, this looks amazing! Just wanting to know if I should press the tofu first? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Thanks, Ash 🙂 Nope, no need. I am always clear in my recipe when you should press tofu. Enjoy!
Jillian says
Sam you are amazing!!!!! I had the same question. I’m excited to try this recipe and then purchase your book!!!! Thank you for sharing your creativity!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Jillian! I hope you love the book!
Aaron says
Great recipe. It was even better the next day.
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! 🙂
Srivani says
Incredible! I'm sure no one would ever know this is vegan. Made this for the vegan gyros and it was amazing! My girl-crush continues...
Srivani says
In my excitement, I forgot to mention that I went a little light on the cucumber (about 1/3) since it's not my fave, but I love tzatziki and I know it has cukes in it. Turned out fantastic, not a hint of cuke flavour. I did add a bit more lemon (personal preference) to thin it just a bit. Super easy and sooooo tasty.
Sam Turnbull says
Bahahaha! Awww shucks. So happy it was enjoyed so much 🙂
kate says
And this filled a hole in our pitas with homemade falafel! Thank you so much!! We loved this recipe and I made enough so we could dunk some carrots in it the next day. So good on our falafel with some chickpeas in a simple vinaigrette and hummus. Tasted just like yogurt, the vegans were scared at first 🙂 fyi, I didn't have energy to grate the cucumbers, so I quickly diced it and pulsed it once in the chopper thingy. I only had a firm tofu on hand, so I didn't squeeze the liquid out of the cucumber. Worked (and tasted) great.
Thanks again, Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! You're most welcome. So happy it was well enjoyed. 🙂
Heather says
Aggggh { <--- in a good way, lol} you are my hero! For reals.
I was just thinking of this the other day (like the person above... we must all be on the same tzatziki wavelength, hahaha)
Anyways thank you!!!! So much!!! (lol can you see I get a *tad* excited over tzatziki too?)
~ Heather from Ontario
PS dually-noted for Scrabble; can you imagine that on a triple word? lolol
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha, yes, who doesn't get excited over tzatziki?? I hope you love it so much, Heather. Oh, yeah, I am seriously competitive in scrabble
Diane P says
Oh man, perfect timing!!! My husband and I had vegan gyros the other day and he said "Babe you need to make these at home!" So I've been meaning to look up a vegan tzatziki sauce recipe. I have one question though: Can I use silken tofu, or does it have to be firm? Thanks!!! Di =)
Sam Turnbull says
I bet you can take a guess as to what the next recipe on my blog will be then 😉 I used medium-firm tofu. Silken tofu will be very thin and make it more of a thin dressing (instead of thick sauce). See the notes about that above. Enjoy! 🙂
Ana says
Dear Sam, thank you so much for this recipe!!!!
I can count on the fingers of one hand the foods I have actually missed since going vegan, but tzaziki tops that list... I tried to make it using vegan yogurt and that didn't turn out so great. I'm having really high hopes for this one 🙂
P.S. You're really lucky to be able to buy tofu at the store around the corner... Where I live it's only available at health stores and really big supermarkets. I was recently on vacation at the coast and it could not be found absolutely anywhere
Sam Turnbull says
Oh yay! I hope you love it, Ana! Oh that's too bad, tofu (at least in some variety or other) is available in almost all grocery stores where I live. Hopefully, your city catches up soon! 🙂
Scott says
Dear LAWD Sam, you've done it again! Slather some of this yumminess onto a seitan gyro!
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha! Sounds super delish 😀