Tzatziki is a dip and sauce that’s popular throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East. We’re talking about quite a few countries. Consequently, there are regional variations. Talatouri, for example, is a type of tzatziki native to Cyprus in Greece. It’s made with mint instead of dill, and uses lemon juice, but no vinegar. This is our basic version of dairy-free talatouri.
Dairy-Free Talatouri is a Vegan Greek Tzatziki with Mint
The biggest wild card in this dairy-free talatouri is the vegan yogurt. What you choose and how you use it will depend on both your taste and consistency preferences. But don’t worry, I won’t leave you hanging. I have some suggestions to help you pick the best dairy-free yogurt for your plant-based talatouri.
- So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk Yogurt: This is my go-to for price and taste with dairy-free talatouri. The flavor goes very well, and the consistency is quite smooth. That said, it makes a thinner dip (more sauce like), and this brand hasn’t strained well for me. So if I want a thicker version, I just reduce the yogurt amount by a little (maybe 1/4 or 1/2 cup) and replace the missing yogurt with coconut cream.
- Cocoyo Living Coconut Yogurt: This ultra-healthy yogurt has simple, pure ingredients, is quite thick, and a little bit bubbly from the probiotics. It’s a great option that can be strained and comes in larger containers, but it is one of the more expensive brands.
- Dah! Almond Yogurt: Yes, a coconut-free option! This India-style yogurt has medium thickness, and comes in a plain variety that’s unsweetened and works well in recipes like this one.
- Forager Greek-Style Yogurt: This thick version is available in unsweetened plain, in larger tubs, and is a great option for a thicker dairy-free talatouri.
- Cocojune Coconut Yogurt: This is a real up-and-comer that’s thicker and made with clean ingredients. It can also be strained. But it doesn’t come in larger tubs. That said, it seems to go on sale for a fair price.
- Culina Yogurt: This is a rich coconut cream brand that will make thick dairy-free talatouri with ease. But ounce for ounce, it’s the most expensive option in our stores. I would only use this one if making a smaller batch.
- Coyo Coconut Yog: If you live in Europe, you can still get this fabulously thick yogurt. It’s so thick and rich, you might even want to thin it a little for your vegan talatouri.
- Kite Hill Greek-Style Almond Yogurt: Their formula has waffled a bit over the years, and we haven’t tasted the latest version. But this brand does have a loyal following, and it’s sometimes easy to find.
Special Diet Notes: Dairy-Free Talatouri
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, paleo, and vegetarian. Just be sure to choose the dairy-free yogurt that suits your dietary needs.
- 2 cups plain or unsweetened dairy-free yogurt (see post above)
- 2 cucumbers, diced small
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint leaves
- ¼ teaspoon paprika (optional)
- Dash salt
- Dash black pepper
- In a serving bowl, whisk together the yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, oil, mint, paprika (if using), salt, and pepper.
- Cover and refrigerate the dip for at least 1 hour before serving, so the flavors have time to meld.
More Dairy-Free Greek-Inspired Recipes
Dairy-Free Spanakopita
Greek Orange Salad with Fresh Mint
Garlicky Greek Chickpeas & Spinach
8 Comments
This sounds so fantastic, like a close cousin to tzaziki! What a refreshing change of pace. It’s much too hot to cook here (102 degrees, and rising) so this might be my new snack of choice.
Oh my, that is seriously toasty for this early in the summer (technically spring)!!
Made this tonight with almond yogurt (could not find plain coconut yogurt) and it was excellent! Even my non vegan friends were raving about it. Thank you for the recipe!
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing your feedback on the recipe Sarah.
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We made this tonight. It was great! Do you think it would work to freeze the leftovers?
Sadly, I don’t think it would freeze well – the yogurt tends to get watery once frozen. Glad you like the recipe though!
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