Vegan Tzatziki

I may have put vegan in the title, but you don’t need to tell your friends. They might not even notice.

This dip always tastes better after a day in the fridge so this is a great recipe to make ahead! Enjoy with fresh veggies or whole wheat pita bread.

If you know that you don’t have a powerful blender then you should soak the cashews in the water overnight. This will help soften them so they make a smoother sauce.

Makes: 2 cups

Preparation time: 25m
Cooking time: 25m
Total time: 25m

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice (1 lemon)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1-2 cucumbers (you want about 2 cups when grated)
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill (finely chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chives (finely chopped)

Equipment: blender, cheese grater, colander

Instructions:

  1. Place the cashews, water, lemon juice and garlic into a blender and blend on high until smooth. If you don’t have a very powerful blender you might want to soak the cashews first, or puree them for a bit let them sit and puree again a few times. You want this puree to be a smooth and thick as greek yogurt. If you still can’t get it smooth you can strain out any larger pieces, or leave them in for a chunkier tzatziki.
  2. Peel the cucumber then grate it using a cheese grater.
  3. Put the cucumber into a colander, sprinkle with salt and let it drain into a bowl/sink for 20 minutes.
  4. Then squeeze out the excess water and mix the cucumber, dill and chives into the cashew puree.
  5. Eat right away or chill.