Eli K. Giannopoulos, Author at My Greek Dish Authentic, traditional, locally sourced Greek recipes and nutritional advice. Sat, 05 Mar 2022 13:19:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.mygreekdish.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/cropped-MyGreekDish-icon-32x32.png Eli K. Giannopoulos, Author at My Greek Dish 32 32 52084098 Vegan Moussaka with Lentils https://www.mygreekdish.com/recipe/vegan-moussaka-with-lentils/ https://www.mygreekdish.com/recipe/vegan-moussaka-with-lentils/#respond Sat, 05 Mar 2022 12:54:09 +0000 https://www.mygreekdish.com/?p=262723 So you love moussaka but you are fasting for lent or you are a vegan? That doesn’t mean you have to miss out on your favorite dish anymore! This is […]

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So you love moussaka but you are fasting for lent or you are a vegan? That doesn’t mean you have to miss out on your favorite dish anymore! This is my delicious vegan moussaka with lentils recipe that I’ve specifically crafted so it keeps the essence of the traditional one, yet is fully plant based! This recipe is so good, you won’t believe it is vegan!

With my Vegan Lentil Moussaka, you get all the delicious potatoes and eggplants along with a vegan-friendly Béchamel sauce that even uses a clever ingredient to create that cheesy flavor on the topping and my delicious, packed with flavour, lentil based filling! 

So read along to discover what you’ll need to make the most delicious vegan lentil moussaka, my tips and tricks to help you make it to perfection, my step by step photos, and of course my unique recipe!

Vegan moussaka with lentils

What is a traditional Moussaka?

Moussaka is arguably the most famous Greek dish. It is served in every Greek taverna and is the dish of choice for a large family gathering and special occasions.

Moussaka is a delicious eggplant, potato and mince meat casserole topped with a deliciously creamy and cheesy béchamel sauce. The essence of the traditional moussaka is summarised in:

  1. Its umami packed filling: The traditional Moussaka sauce is a deep dark red/brown ragu, which is both meaty yet fragrant and is packed with umami flavours. The traditional moussaka uses a combination of beef or lamb to make the sauce together with garlic, bay leaves, cinnamon and red wine.
  2. Its creamy béchamel: The traditional Moussaka is topped with a creamy, thick béchamel that is packed with a distinct savoury taste yet is extra fragrant because of the grated cheese and nutmeg!
  3. Its deliciously juicy vegetables: Aubergines and potatoes are cooked separately and then added to the moussaka when ready to assemble. The aubergines give it a delicious juiciness and the potatoes that extra starchiness and robustness in its flavour, making it a complete meal!

So keeping the above in mind, how can we make the perfect Vegan moussaka while keeping its “essence” – the umami packed filling, its creamy béchamel and its deliciously juicy vegetables intact?

Vegan moussaka with lentils ingredients

Making the perfect Vegan Moussaka with Lentils – Key Ingredients

In order for your Vegan moussaka recipe to keep its authenticity, we need to carefully select our meat and dairy substitutes. After plenty of experimentation I’ve narrowed it down to the following key ingredients:

  • Lentils: they are the perfect meat substitute. They are nutritious, natural and healthy. Also they are a staple ingredient in the Greek cuisine! In my recipe I’ve opted to use green Lentils but you can also use any variety of whole (not split) brown lentils as well.
  • Dried mushrooms: To make the sauce more “meaty” I’ve opted to use a sprinkling of dried mushrooms. They will expand when cooking and will impart their natural umami flavour that makes this vegan moussaka so delicious!
  • Herbs and spices: After plenty of experimentation and keeping to the moussaka tradition, I’ve put together a delicious herbs and spices mix that makes this moussaka taste just like the original! You’ll need some garlic, cinnamon, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, red wine, oregano and a bay leaf to season your sauce to perfection
  • Vegan friendly béchamel: The classic Bechamel sauce is unfortunately using cows milk and butter so is not vegan or lent friendly. In keeping with the Greek tradition, I’ve opted to prepare my vegan béchamel using olive oil for the roux. To give it that extra creaminess but without sacrificing its flavour, I’ve found that soy milk is an excellent substitute for regular cows milk. To bring in those delicious Greek flavours and aromas, I’ve also infused the béchamel with a brown onion, cinnamon stick, bay leafs, nutmeg and garlic powder.
  • Nutritional yeast: This is my one secret ingredient that makes the béchamel taste so special! So what is nutritional yeast? It’s a natural product that is made out of deactivated bakers or brewers yeast. It is highly nutritious, containing plenty of vitamin B and proteins. And best of all? It imparts a deliciously cheesy flavour to the béchamel!
  • Potatoes and Aubergines! A Moussaka is not a moussaka without potatoes and generous helping of aubergines. So make sure you grab yourself a bunch and let’s get cooking!

Tip: You can use almond milk in place of soy milk if you prefer. It will give the sauce a nuttier flavor but it won’t brown as much as it would with soy milk. So if you want to use this option, add some breadcrumbs to the top to help brown the dish.

Vegan Moussaka with lentils

Preparing your Vegan Moussaka with Lentils

To prepare your Vegan Lentil Moussaka you’ll need to follow the following four key steps:

  1. Prepare the lentil sauce
  2. Prepare the vegetables
  3. Prepare the bechamel
  4. Assemble and bake!

So get your pans out and let’s get started!

Preparing the Vegan Moussaka Lentil sauce

To prepare your Vegan Moussaka recipe lentil sauce, you’ll firstly need to soak your dried mushrooms in 500ml / 2 cups of boiling water. This will help the mushrooms hydrate!

Then in a large saucepan, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and cook for 5-6 minutes until translucent and just beginning to color. Add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute until its aroma is coming through.

Vegan moussaka with lentils preparing the onions

Once your onions are soft and translucent and the garlic cooked, its time to add the spices. Start by adding the ground cinnamon, the tomato paste and simmer until the tomato paste has caramelised. This releases the delicious umami flavour in the tomato paste!

Next stir in the chopped tomatoes, red wine, balsamic vinegar and the water from the dried mushrooms, keeping a little aside to wash out the tomato tin to get all that delicious tomato juice! Stir in the lentils, oregano, the bay leaf and lastly add the soaked dried mushrooms.

Bring to a boil, then season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour until the lentils are soft, stirring occasionally.

Tip: Keep an eye on your lentil sauce when its cooking. If it looks like its drying out add a little more water and stir.

Vegan moussaka with lentils - lentil sauce

Preparing your Vegan Bechamel Sauce

To prepare our delicious Vegan Bechamel sauce firstly we will need to infuse the milk. In a medium sized pot add your soy milk, the roughly chopped white onion, the cinnamon stick, the peppercorns and the bay leaf. Cook over medium-high heat until it just comes to a boil then remove and set aside to infuse.

To make the béchamel sauce, you’ll first need to make a roux. In another saucepan, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is warm and has started to simmer, add the flour and whisk. Cook for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly so your flour cooks and looses that flour-y taste.

Vegan moussaka with lentils preparing the milk

Strain your milk and gradually whisk in the flour mixture. You’ll need to keep whisking so no lumps form. To take some of the labour out, you can use your electric hand mixer with the whisk attachment!

Once all the milk has been absorbed into the flour and the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in the spices – the nutmeg, garlic powder and salt. Add the nutritional yeast, whisk and taste. Add some more salt if needed to bring out the cheesy flavour of the yeast.

Your vegan moussaka béchamel sauce is now ready!

Preparing your Vegan Moussaka Vegetables

Start by preparing your potatoes. Slice them thinly and lay them our on a large baking sheet or two, depending on the size of your sheets and spray or brush with olive oil. Season your potatoes with some salt, flip them over and repeat.

Preheat your oven to 220C/430F and place your potato tray in to cook for approximately 30 minutes or until well browned.

Tip: Line your baking sheets with parchment paper – your potatoes won’t stick and you won’t have to flip them over while cooking either! Also, if you don’t have an olive oil spray you can brush olive oil onto the potato and eggplant slices using a pastry brush.

Vegan moussaka with lentils preparing the potatoes

Now its time to prepare your eggplants. Cut them lengthwise into finger-width slices, place them on baking parchment lined baking sheets and season with salt. Spray or brush with some olive oil, flip them over and repeat.

In the preheated oven (220C/430F) bake your eggplants for approximately 20 minutes until tender. As with your potatoes, you won’t need to flip them over half way. However you’ll need to rotate the baking sheets in the oven half way to make sure they brown evenly!

Do you need to fry the potatoes and eggplant?

It is common to fry the potatoes and eggplant before assembling the dish but I roasted them instead for a healthier option. If you do prefer to fry them, cover the base of the pan with olive oil and cook over a high heat until golden on each side. Use some kitchen towel to blot away the oil and continue with the vegan moussaka recipe!

Vegan moussaka with lentils preparing the aubergines

Do you need to salt the eggplant?

With modern eggplant varieties, there’s no need to salt them to remove bitterness. However, if you use heirloom varieties or find your eggplant is unusually bitter, you can salt the slices and leave them in a colander for about 30 minutes.

Rinse off the salt and squeeze out extra moisture before continuing with the recipe. Just skip the salt before roasting them if you do this.

Assembling your Vegan Moussaka with Lentils and baking it

Now that your key ingredients are all ready, its time to assemble the vegan moussaka and bake it. Start by spreading the potatoes in a single layer over the bottom of a deep 32cm x 20cm (12-inch x 8 inch) baking dish.

Then layer half of the eggplant slices, followed by the lentil mixture. Add the rest of the eggplant, spreading them evenly on top. Finally pour over the béchamel and smooth it over with a spoon or a spatula.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F and bake your moussaka for 30-45 minutes until the top is golden brown.

To serve, remove your vegan moussaka with lentils from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes until it has cooled down a bit. This will help you cut the dish without it falling apart!

Making ahead of time and storing

From my experience, this recipe doesn’t freeze very well as the béchamel, filling and potatoes turn soggy when frozen. If you want to prepare it in advance, prepare all the key steps and assemble the dish. Cover it with some cling film and place in your fridge where it will last for 1-2 days. When you want to serve, preheat the oven and cook for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.

To store any leftovers, slice them up and place them in airtight containers. You can store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. To serve, place your slices on a baking sheet and reheat at 100C / 220F for approximately 30 minutes until piping hot throughout.

Serving suggestions

This vegan lentil moussaka recipe is delicious on its own and a complete meal! I do love serving it with some delicious village crusty bread, sourdough bread, some delicious vegan tzatziki and a delicious Greek Salad! If I’m looking to make it into a larger meal I love pairing it with some delicious Greek lemon roast potatoes and some roast vegetables (briam) on the side!

More delicious Greek Vegan recipes

For more Greek vegan and lenten recipes take a look at my hand selected collection below:

And of course my vegan meze platter collection below:

Vegan Meze Platter:

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Vegan moussaka with lentils

Vegan Moussaka with Lentils

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (100 votes, average: 4.88 out of 5)
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  • Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 8
  • Category: Main
  • Method: baked
  • Cuisine: Greek
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

So you love moussaka but you are fasting for lent or you are a vegan? That doesn’t mean you have to miss out on your favorite dish anymore! This is my delicious vegan moussaka with lentils recipe that I’ve specifically crafted, so it keeps the essence of the traditional one, yet is fully plant based!


Ingredients

For the Vegan Moussaka Lentils sauce

  • 5g dried mushrooms (1/2 tbsp)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 red onion
  • salt to taste
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes (14 oz)
  • 1 glass red wine (approx. 250ml / 1 cup)
  • 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 200g dried green lentils (7 oz)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • black pepper to taste
  • sugar to taste

For the Vegan Moussaka Béchamel sauce

  • 1 brown onion
  • 600ml soy milk (2 1/2 cups)
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 black peppercorns
  • 60ml extra virgin olive oil (1/4 cup)
  • 80g flour (2 3/4 oz)
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • salt to taste

For the Moussaka

  • 3 large eggplant
  • 3 medium potatoes
  • olive oil
  • salt


Instructions

  1. Pour 500ml (2 cups) of boiling water over the dried mushrooms and set aside to soak.
  2. Infuse the milk for the béchamel. Roughly chop the white onion and add to a small saucepan or milk pan along with the soy milk, cinnamon stick, one of the bay leaves and the peppercorns. Set over a medium high heat and gently bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse.
  3. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the chopped red onion and cook for 5-6 minutes until translucent and just starting to colour. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further minute until aromatic.
  4. Stir in the ground cinnamon, followed by the tomato paste. Cook for a further minute or two until the tomato paste has caramelised slightly and turned brick red.
  5. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, red wine, balsamic vinegar, and the dried mushroom soaking liquid, using a little soaking liquid or wine to wash out the tomato tin so you don’t leave any juice behind. Stir in the lentils, oregano, the remaining dried bay leaf, and the soaked dried mushrooms, finely chopped.
  6. Bring to the boil and season well with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, uncovered, for 1 hour until the lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.
  7. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 220C/430F.
  8. Slice the potatoes into 0.5cm (half a finger width) slices. Line a large baking sheet (you might need two depending on the size of your sheets) with baking parchment and lay out the potato slices. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Flip the pieces over and repeat. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until well browned – with the baking parchment, there should be no need to flip them to colour both sides.
  9. To prepare the eggplant, slice lengthwise into 1cm (one finger width) wide strips. As with the potatoes, transfer to baking parchment lined baking sheets, season on both sides with salt, and spray with olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes; there will also be no need to turn the eggplant pieces half way, but you’ll want to rotate the pans in the oven roughly half way to make sure everything browns evenly.
  10. Once the vegetables are done, drop the oven temperature to 180C/350F.
  11. When the lentils are about 10 minutes from being cooked, start the béchamel. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Once the oil has just started to shimmer, whisk in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly to cook the raw flavour out of the flour.
  12. Strain the infused milk and gradually whisk it into the flour mixture, whisking quickly to avoid any lumps. Whisk in the nutritional yeast, nutmeg, and garlic powder, and and season to taste with salt – you’ll probably need more than you think to bring out the ‘cheesy’ flavour of the nutritional yeast. Remove from the heat only when the mixture is thick, but still spreadable.
  13. To assemble the moussaka, spread the potatoes in a single layer across the bottom of a deep 32cm x 20cm (12 inch x 8 inch) baking dish. Then, layer half the eggplant slices, followed by the lentil mixture. Add the rest of the eggplant, and smooth the béchamel over the top.
  14. Bake the moussaka for 30 minutes or until the top is golden. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Keywords: vegan moussaka, vegan moussaka with lentils, moussaka with lentils, vegan lentil moussaka

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Vegan Tzatziki Sauce Recipe (dairy free) https://www.mygreekdish.com/recipe/vegan-tzatziki-sauce-recipe/ https://www.mygreekdish.com/recipe/vegan-tzatziki-sauce-recipe/#comments Sun, 20 Feb 2022 18:35:17 +0000 https://www.mygreekdish.com/?p=262546 This is my ultimate Vegan Tzatziki recipe! Deliciously creamy, refreshing and, best of all, even though its dairy-free, it tastes just like the original! Perfect if you are following a […]

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This is my ultimate Vegan Tzatziki recipe! Deliciously creamy, refreshing and, best of all, even though its dairy-free, it tastes just like the original! Perfect if you are following a vegan diet, are lactose intolerant or if you are fasting for the Easter and Christmas lent! 

So read along to discover my vegan yogurt shoot-out to find the best vegan yogurt for your tzatziki, my step by step preparation photos and of course my delicious recipe and vegan dish pairing suggestions for you to make the best dairy-free tzatziki you have every had!

Vegan tzatziki with crusty bread

What is tzatziki?

Tzatziki is a creamy, yoghurt based sauce, flavoured with minced garlic, grated cucumber, olive oil and vinegar. Tzatziki is commonly served as a dip, paired with sticks of cucumber and carrots or as part of a maze platter, together with some crusty bread and toasted pita breads

The secret behind the traditional Greek tzatziki is its yoghurt. Traditionally, tzatziki is made with Greek yoghurt, which is different from your usual yogurts because it is strained and the excess milk whey is removed

This straining process results in a much thicker yogurt that is also tangier and much creamier than plain yogurt. However, if you have ever tried a Vegan Tzatziki sauce before, you may have noticed that it just didn’t taste the same as the original. Why? It’s all because of the yogurt…

So, to make my Vegan Tzatziki taste just like the original I knew I had to find the best vegan yoghurt, one that tastes just like a strained Greek Yogurt. But how?

I tried all of the Greek style vegan yogurts available at your local supermarket – both branded and own brand, as well as their variations – soy, oat and coconut based.

I also tried the popular home-made “yogurts” which are made with ground up cashew nuts and soy. And I finally found one that is virtually indistinguishable from the original! 

So let’s get started! 

Vegan tzatziki ingredients

Vegan Tzatziki Ingredients

To make your dairy-free Vegan Tzatziki sauce to perfection you’ll need a handful of ingredients:

  1. Vegan Yogurt: This is the base of your dairy-free vegan tzatziki. You will need a yogurt that is neutral in flavour, creamy and tangy, that has no hints of sweetness. Most vegan tzatziki recipes use either cashew nuts or soy to make the yogurt base. However, these just don’t taste the same as a traditional strained Greek Yoghurt. Luckily  there is one natural vegan yogurt that tastes just like the original – check out my vegan yogurt shoot out below for more!
  2. Cucumber: You’ll need around half a cucumber to make your vegan tzatziki. The cucumber will add freshness to the tzatziki sauce, together with a crunchy bite to it.
  3. Garlic: Arguably the most important flavouring in your tzatziki! Depending on how “spicy” you like it, use 2-4 cloves. Make sure you mince them using a garlic press to extract all their delicious aromas and flavors!
  4. Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil is a must. It will add a delicious earthy, nutty flavor to your tzatziki, complementing the creaminess of the yogurt.
  5. Vinegar: A dash of plain white wine vinegar will cut through the creaminess of the yogurt, giving your vegan tzatziki a slight acidity. If you don’t have white wine vinegar, a cider vinegar also works great.
  6. Salt, Pepper and (optionally) herbs: While the traditional greek tzatziki does not call for any herbs, if you like yours a bit more fragrant, you can try adding some chopped dill or mint!

Vegan tzatziki yoghurt test

Picking the right yogurt for your vegan tzatziki 

Since the basis for your vegan tzatziki is the dairy-free yogurt, we need one that closely resembles the taste, consistency, and color of the traditional strained Greek yoghurt. What we are looking for is:

  1. Creamy: The texture of the vegan yogurt needs to be thick, creamy and by no means watery. 
  2. Tangy: The vegan yogurt needs to have a tangy aftertaste and a hint of sharpness to its flavour. 
  3. Neutral in flavor: Ideally the vegan yogurt needs to be neutral in taste, without a sweet or fruity aftertaste. A neutral base will allow the flavours of the garlic, cucumber and the optional dill or mint to come through. And of course, it must not have an artificial aftertaste!
  4. White in color: The vegan yogurt needs to have a white or off-white color, to resemble the original as closely as possible.

With that in mind, I bought all the vegan yogurts I could find at my local supermarket and taste tested them to see how they compare against the original.

I tried both brand named ones as well as a store own brand as well as their three major variations – soy, oat and coconut based. And there was one clear winner! 

Vegan tzatziki oatly oatgurt greek style

The best yogurt for your Vegan Tzatziki: Oatly Oatgurt Greek Style

Without a doubt, the Oatly Oatgurt Greek style dairy free yogurt is the best for making your vegan Tzatziki. I was admittedly surprised when I tasted it for the first time. It tasted exactly the same as a strained Greek Yoghurt. So much so that I decided to do a blind test between it and my regular, usual strained Greek Yogurt. I could not distinguish the two! 

Its consistency is thick and creamy, just as you would expect from a Greek yogurt. Its color is a beautiful slightly off-white shade

When tasting the Oatly Oatgurt Greek Style yogurt, you initially get that sharp tangy flavor, together with a velvety, smooth taste in the mouth. Thankfully, it also did not leave any artificial aftertaste. This is a beautiful vegan Greek Yoghurt, ideally suited for savoury dips, like our dairy-free, vegan tzatziki!

How did the remaining vegan yogurts in my round up taste like? Read on to find out!

Vegan tzatziki alpro greek style oat yoghurt

Alpro Greek Style Oat vegan yogurt

I had high hopes for this one. After all, it is also an oat based yogurt, just like my favorite, the Oatly. However, when I opened it I was surprised by its color and texture.

The Alpro Greek Style Oat yogurt was a lot more jelly like, feeling almost like a creme brûlée in texture. Its color was also slightly more off-white than the Oatly. 

When tasting it, it was obvious that this yogurt is much sweeter than the Oatly and the traditional Greek yogurt. The tangy, sharp “bite” I was expecting was not there. You definitely don’t want to be making a savoury dip with this one!

Thankfully, it also did not leave an artificial aftertaste but rather one that had a hint of oats. All in all, it tasted like a delicious desert and it would go great with some chopped up fruit or biscuits, like my delicious quick and easy Greek yogurt desert!

Vegan tzatziki alpro greek style coconut yoghurt

Alpro Greek Style Coconut vegan yogurt

With the Alpro Greek Style Coconut vegan yogurt being coconut based I expected it to be sweet and, of course, taste like coconut milk!

And indeed that is exactly how it tasted! It was fairly sweet, velvety in texture with a hint of sharpness and tanginess. Its consistency was thick and very, very creamy. As expected, it left a slight coconut aftertaste, like the you’ve drunk coconut milk.

What really impressed me with the Alpro Greek Style coconut yogurt was its color. It was bright white, much whiter than all the rest, including the original Greek Yogurt! 

Finally, while I loved its taste, it would not be suitable for a savoury dip, like my vegan tzatziki sauce. However, its deliciously creamy texture and sweetness would work amazingly well with some chopped up fruit as a light dessert

Vegan tzatziki tesco free from soy yoghurt

And lastly – Tesco’s Free From Soy vegan yogurt

I must admit, I was disappointed when tasting Tesco’s Free From Soy vegan yogurt. Being soy based, I was expecting a neutral flavor that could be a good alternative to the Oatly and similar to the original Greek yogurt. 

However, I was disappointed. Firstly, its consistency was very watery and not creamy at all. Texture wise, from the ones I’ve tested, it resembled the original strained Greek yogurt the least.

Looking at the nutritional label, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. It has the least amount of fat among all of the vegan yogurts I tested.

Secondly, its taste had a strong hint of soy coming through with a very little sharpness and tanginess. While it had no hint of sweetness, it also left a weird aftertaste that felt very artificial.

Unfortunately this yogurt would not be suitable for a vegan tzatziki. Also due to its odd aftertaste I could not imagine myself using it for a fruit or biscuit based dessert either. 

Vegan tzatziki preparation

How to make a vegan, dairy-free, Tzatziki sauce

Making your vegan tzatziki sauce is super simple. Start by pouring the yoghurt in a large bowl. Then, grate your cucumber using a box grater. You don’t need to peel the cucumber – just cut it in half and grate it! 

Tip: The cucumber is quite watery. After you’ve grated it you’ll need to squeeze it with your hands over your sink to remove any excess moisture. When it’s dry, place it in your bowl.

Now let’s peel and press the garlic. Grab a couple of garlic cloves, gently press down on them using your hands and peel them. Then, use your garlic press to squeeze them on your bowl.

Finally, add your olive oil, vinegar, a pinch of salt and some freshly ground pepper and mix it all together. Give your vegan tzatziki a taste and add some more salt if it tastes bland.

If you’d like your dairy-free tzatziki sauce a bit more creamy, add a little bit more olive oil and mix. This is also the time to add any chopped up herbs, if you’re using them. Finally top it off with some olives and chopped up cucumber for some extra crunch!

Vegan tzatziki with crusty bread

Storing your Vegan Tzatziki

To store your vegan tzatziki, wrap your bowl with some cling film (plastic wrap) and pop it in the fridge. It will keep for approximately 4 days. When you want to use it, take it out of the fridge, mix it so any liquids that may have come out are incorporated and serve.

What to serve your Vegan Tzatziki sauce with?

This vegan yogurt sauce is super versatile and goes well with pretty much any savoury dish you can imagine!

I love serving it with some sliced up cucumber and carrots as a simple dip to start our dinner as well as as part of a vegan meze platter and as a side to some delicious Greek vegan dishes.

Below are my top recommendations and serving suggestions!

As part of a Vegan Meze Platter:

As a side dish to a vegan dish:

 

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Vegan tzatziki

Vegan Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (94 votes, average: 4.97 out of 5)
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  • Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 1 bowl
  • Category: Dips
  • Cuisine: Greek
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This is my ultimate Vegan Tzatziki recipe! Deliciously creamy, refreshing and, best of all, even though its dairy-free, it tastes just like the original!


Ingredients

  • 1 tub of Oatly Oatgurt Greek Style Vegan Yogurt (or similar alternative)
  • 1/2 large cucumber
  • 23 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • a pinch of salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp chopped dill or mint (optional)
  • 1 tbsp black olives


Instructions

  1. To prepare your vegan tzatziki start by pouring the vegan yoghurt in a large bowl.
  2. Wash your cucumber, cut it in half and grate it using a box grater in a second bowl. You don’t need to peel it, just grate it whole. Using your hands, squeeze your cucumber shreds until all the water has come out. Place your dried out cucumber in the yoghurt bowl.
  3. Then, peel your garlic cloves and using a garlic press squash them into your bowl.
  4. Finally add your olive oil, vinegar, a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper and mix it together using a spoon. Taste your tzatziki and, if it feels bland, add some more salt, mix it and taste it again.
  5. If you’re using any herbs add them now and using your spoon mix your vegan tzatziki again.
  6. Finally top your vegan tzatziki off with some olives, some chopped up cucumber and a drizzle of olive oil.
  7. Enjoy!

Keywords: vegan tzatziki, vegan yogurt sauce, vegan tzatziki sauce, vegan yogurt and cucumber sauce

 

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