3 Gut Health Benefits to a Tastes Like Summer, Easy Tzatziki Sauce
With fresh herbs and cucumbers, this easy Tzatziki sauce will have you forgetting you are eating yogurt and feeling like it’s summertime!
Quick and easy to make in the food processor, you can eat right away with some pitas, serve with grilled kabobs, or store in a bell jar for later. You can also find this easy Tzatziki sauce in my Mediterranean Pizza with Sun-dried Tomatoes recipe.
This post is all about easy Tzatziki sauce!
Healthy Micro Superstars Featured in easy Tzatziki sauce:
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What Do I Need To Do To Make Easy Tzatziki Sauce?
- First, peel the cucumbers.
- Then, in your food processor, grate the cucumbers.
- Next, drain the cucumber juice with a spoon. Put back grated cucumber in the food processor.
- Then, chop the dill, parsley, and garlic roughly, and add to the processor.
- Finally, add the Greek yogurt, buttermilk, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and brandy. Blend.
- Voila! Use what you need for the pizza and save the rest in bell jars!
This Easy Tzatziki sauce recipe is so fresh it is worth making ahead!
Easy Tzatziki Sauce Recipes Are Great For Your Microbiome
Preparing this homemade sauce provides an impressive array of beneficial microbial benefits due to the inclusion of freshly sourced ingredients that still contain the hidden supercharged probiotic bacteria that can help to boost our health and immune system.
Wondering about tzatziki pronunciation? It’s easy! tuh-zee-kee
Dr. Kait
When you buy pre-made Tzatziki at the store, often the amazingly beneficial probiotic bacteria that are hidden inside the vegetables have lost their potency and punch, due to being stored for days and even weeks in some cases. This unfortunately means that you are missing out on some of the powerful health benefits that these bacteria can provide.
Does that imply that store-bought sauce is bad for your health? Not exactly, it just suggests that when compared to homemade alternatives, you get fewer nutritional benefits and, in all honesty, less flavor.
So, What’s In the Best Tzatziki Recipe and How Much Effort is This Going to Take?
Cucumbers! The star of the show when it comes to the sauce is none other than the cucumbers! The process of preparing them is quite simple – you start off by peeling the cucumbers, and then use a food processor with a grater attachment to grate them into small pieces. This ensures that your sauce has that unique, fresh flavor that only cucumbers can provide!
After thoroughly grating your cucumbers, you’ll need to get rid of the excess liquid. Simply pour the contents into a sieve or strainer and press down firmly with a spoon to drain away the juice. When that is finished, put your cucumber gratings back in the food processor and add all the rest of your desired ingredients for an amazing result!
What’s All the Hype About Cucumbers?
1. Cucumbers are an Excellent Source of Antioxidants
Cucumbers are an incredibly nutrient-packed superfood, boasting a hefty amount of antioxidants such as flavonoids and tannins. These amazing compounds help to keep your immune system functioning at its best, while protecting your body against the ravages of free radicals. Not only that, but cucumbers contain a plethora of other beneficial vitamins and minerals, making them a powerhouse of nutrition!
Flavonoids and tannins prevent the accumulation of harmful free radicals and may reduce the risk of chronic disease.
Link, 2017
Remember hearing about tannins at your last wine tasting? Yep, one and the same. Who knew they were in cucumbers too!?
Remember hearing about tannins during your last wine tasting? Did you know that tannins, are also present in cucumbers!? It’s remarkable to think that the same compound can be found in both of these seemingly different items. Who knew!?
Hydrate! Cucumbers are 96% Water
Staying adequately hydrated is critically important for your overall health and wellbeing. It supports maintaining a healthy body weight, helps manage regularity in your (ahem) bowel movements, and can even improve your energy levels and mental clarity. So, it makes sense that drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day is an effective way to reduce your risk of dehydration (Popkin, D’Anci, Rosenberg, 2010).
Trying to stay hydrated? Have you ever considered the water content in your food?
Dr. Kait
Most people are embracing the idea of staying hydrated and carrying around a reusable water bottle throughout the day – even if they don’t end up drinking it all. But, have you considered the water content in your food? Eating foods that are high in water is a great way to get your daily recommended intake without having to drink it down.
In one study of 442 children ages 4-10, those that had increased vegetable and fruits in their diet had significantly greater improvements in hydration (Montenegro-Bethancourt, Johner, & Remer, 2013). This was accounting for all other sources of water. Bottom line, kids eating more fruits and vegetables had better hydration.
2. Cucumbers Could Help You Lose or Maintain Your Weight
Cucumbers are high in water, and therefore low in calories. In fact, one cup of cucumbers only amounts to 16 calories. I’m not even sure if I could take a bite of a Triscuit for less calories than that!
Doctors have found that people who eat cucumbers, and other foods with high water content (think leafy greens and more) are significantly more likely to lose weight and keep it off.
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee concluded that strong and consistent evidence in adults indicates that dietary patterns relatively low in energy density improve weight loss and weight maintenance.
Perez-Escamilla et al., 2012
The committee also found strong evidence that those eating a diet high in “energy dense” foods, i.e. lacking water (think donuts) show a greater likelihood toward obesity (Perez-Escamilla et al., 2012). This was shown in multiple studies of kids and adults, over time (Perez-Escamilla et al., 2012).
3. Cucumbers Support Digestive Health
Cucumbers are composed of water and contain antioxidants and quite a bit of fiber. Specifically, cucumbers contain pectin, a fiber that has been shown to regulate your bowel movements (Gunnars, 2021). Doctors studying 80 individuals with constipation issues found consuming pectin lessened their constipation. I’d say more, but you’re planning on eating the Tzatziki sauce, so I’ll leave the cite and let you read it at your leisure (Xu et al., 2014).
Two Recipes from Kait’s Cupboard with this Easy Tzatziki Sauce
Get ready to level-up your meal-times with this amazing tzatziki sauce! From pizzas to salads to tacos, explore limitless possibilities in the kitchen with this creamy, delicious and incredibly flavorful condiment. It’ll be a surefire hit among your family and friends – so try it out today and enjoy!
Mediterranean Pizza Recipe with Sun-dried Tomatoes
Friday is the perfect day for this Mediterranean pizza recipe! With seared chickpeas and sun-dried tomatoes, this pizza will be sure to wow you!
Mediterranean pizza uses your easy Tzatziki sauce as a base instead of traditional pizza sauce. If you think you’re not a fan of Tzatziki sauce on pizza, try making this one at home. It is worth it! With fresh herbs and cucumbers, you will have a fresh, delicious pizza you can’t buy from the store.
Layer seared chickpeas, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, and radicchio. Top the pizza with soft buffalo mozzarella. Mozzarella is an excellent source of Lactobacillus rhamnosus, a probiotic that brings positive effects to your gut. We literally have kids in our house that will eat this out of the container, so I have to act fast whenever I buy it. Dot with a few green olives to finish. Yum!
Greek Chicken Tacos and Hummus in the Instant Pot
On Taco Tuesday, try something Greek inspired! Greek Chicken Tacos combine homemade lemon garlic hummus with lemon garlic chicken in the Instant Pot. They are easy, delicious, and gut healthy.
If you love a good ‘ole fashion Americana dinner on the grill. You will love the moist goodness of Greek chicken combined with savory lemon garlic hummus. Drizzle with tzatziki sauce for the perfect taco topping! This one would be perfect for a get together with friends!
Have I Convinced You to Make Your Own Easy Tzatziki Sauce?
With all the health benefits of fresh cucumbers, it only makes sense to make this easy Tzatziki sauce at home. You can freeze the left over sauce for another day! This tzatziki sauce recipe will build up your weekly plant points and support microbiome health!
BonuS! Easy Tzatziki sauce includes Greek yogurt and buttermilk, both excellent sources of bifidobacterium bifidum, an important component of a healthy gut.
Easy Tzatziki Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cucumbers peeled
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 cup Greek yogurt whole fat
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 3 tbsp fresh dill
- 3 tbsp fresh Italian parsley
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 2 tsp Mediterranean sea salt
- 3 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp brandy Ciroc (optional)
Instructions
Tzatziki Sauce
- Peel the cucumbers.2 cucumbers
- In a food processor with the grate attachment, grate the cucumbers.
- Once grated, open the lid and pour contents into a sieve, pressing down with a spoon to drain the juice. Put back grated cucumber in the food processor.
- Chop the dill roughly, add to the processor.3 tbsp fresh dill
- Chop the parsley roughly, add to the processor.3 tbsp fresh Italian parsley
- Chop the garlic roughly, add to the processor.1 clove garlic
- Then, add the Greek yogurt, buttermilk, olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, salt, pepper, and brandy. Press "on" to blend.1 lemon , 1 cup Greek yogurt , 1 cup buttermilk, 1/4 cup olive oil , 2 tsp Mediterranean sea salt , 3 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp brandy
- Voila! Use what you need for the pizza and save the rest in bell jars.
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