Life-Changing Vegan Cashew Tzatziki
This good-for-you vegan tzatziki is so good, you’ll crave it. Never watery, it tastes even better than dairy because it’s made with creamy cashews, blended super thick (NOT yogurt!). The perfect quick appetizer for company, or healthy weekend snack prep….no one will know it’s vegan!
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You know me…sauce is my life. It’s essentially a food group around here, to the point where dip for dinner is a go-to move. And I ate SO much tzatziki before going vegan, that I can’t believe how long it took me to create my own. This easy cashew tzatziki recipe is actually hiding in the back pages of my book Plant Magic, and I really thought it deserved its own spot here on the blog.
What makes this recipe soooooo crushable is that it’s made from a thickly blended cashew base. NO yogurt. Why? Well, dairy free yogurts are all so different. They taste different. They have different textures. And it would be impossible for me to create a recipe that turns out the same every time if I told you to use whatever yogurt you had in the fridge.
My beloved cashews, however, never let us down. Mineral rich, with a mildly sweet + neutral flavour just like dairy, we add tang with fresh lemon juice but otherwise, it’s a pretty classic tzatziki recipe to add to your snack spread or Med-inspired dinner.
How to make a vegan tzatziki that’s perfect every single time
First things first: this is a rare recipe where I hot soak my cashews and it’s because we’re doing a low water blend…a THICK cashew cream is what keeps the tzatziki from getting runny, even as the cucumber releases moisture.
Nutrition Corner: putting on my dietitian hat for a second to tell you that this naturally vegan and gluten free tzatziki dip is rich in minerals like copper – which feeds the skin and supports the nervous system – as well as magnesium, iron and zinc. If you need a nut free version, you can use sunflower seeds, although they have a distinctively earthier taste. Adjust for that by playing with the lemon and salt content…maybe even a tiny bit of sweetener.
More ridiculously crushable healthy vegan dips:
- Protein-packed Curried Red Lentil Dip
- 5 Minute Vegan Dill Dip with Cashew Cream
- Protein-packed “Fried” Pickle Dip with Tofu
- Nourishing Vegan Beet Dip with Hemp Hearts
Life-changing Vegan Cashew Tzatziki
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups raw cashews
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- ¾ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 medium English cucumber, (about 2 cups squeezed)
- ¼ cup lightly packed fresh dill, chopped
- freshly cracked pepper
Equipment
- High Speed Blender a strong blender really is a must for this one!
Instructions
- To soak the cashews quickly: bring a kettle to the boil before you do anything else. Place cashews in a heat proof bowl, cover with just boiled water and let soak for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse.
- Meanwhile, prep your ingredients: grate the cucumber. Grab small handfuls of the grated cucumber and squeeze the excess moisture out over the sink, then place the squeezed cucumber into a medium bowl. Add the dill to the bowl.
- To a blender, add the water, lemon juice, garlic, salt, garlic powder, and plenty of pepper. Once the cashews are soaked, rinse and drain and add to the blender.
- Blend on medium speed, slowly increasing to high as the cashews liquify, until silky smooth, about 1 minute total. If you need to, scrape the side of the blender once mid-blend so there are no chunks.
- Pour over the cashew mixture over the cucumber and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for an hour for the flavours to blend. Taste and adjust salt or lemon juice to your liking.
