Easy Greek Tzatziki Sauce Recipe in 10 Minutes

Instructions:

1. Grate the English cucumber using the large holes of a box grater. Note: English cucumbers are preferred because they have fewer seeds and thinner skin than standard garden varieties.
2. Place the grated cucumber in a fine mesh sieve, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and let it sit for 10 minutes until a pool of green liquid collects below.
3. Squeeze the grated cucumber forcefully with your hands or twist it in cheesecloth until the pulp feels like a dry ball of yarn.
4. Whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and minced garlic in a small bowl. Note: This 5 minute rest allows the acid to take the edge off the raw garlic.
5. In a large mixing bowl, scoop in the thick Greek yogurt and add the dry cucumber pulp.
6. Pour the garlic and oil mixture over the yogurt and add your freshly chopped dill and mint.
7. Season with the remaining sea salt and cracked black pepper.
8. Stir the mixture gently with a spoon until the green herbs are evenly speckled throughout the white cream.
9. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap to prevent the yogurt from absorbing other fridge odors.
10. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until the sauce is cold and the flavors have deepened significantly. When you are working through these steps, the most important sensory cue is the dryness of the cucumber. It might feel like you are wasting all that juice, but that juice is the enemy of a thick sauce. If you want to be extra efficient, you can save that cucumber water to add to a gin and tonic or a morning smoothie. Waste not, want not! For a complete meal, I love serving this as a cooling side for my [quick chicken piccata](https://velvetyrecipes.com/recipes/quick-chicken-piccata-recipe/), where the lemon in the sauce mirrors the lemon in the chicken perfectly.