Tzatziki and Pickled Red Onions
The bright and tangy Greek sauce known as tzatziki combines yogurt with cucumbers, lemon juice, garlic and herbs. You’ll find that tzatziki has countless uses: serve it as a dip with fresh veggies and pita chips or enjoy as a condiment for gyros. Our recipe calls for labneh, a soft Middle Eastern cheese that’s made from strained yogurt and has a thicker texture than regular yogurt. If you can’t find labneh, substitute whole-milk Greek yogurt, but drain it first to remove the excess liquid. To enrich the tzatziki and temper the tartness, we stir in some crème fraîche. We also prepare quick-pickled red onions, which add a tangy crunch to gyros, other sandwiches and salads. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Ingredients:
For the pickled red onions:
- 1 large red onion, sliced on a mandoline about 1/16 inch (2 mm) thick
- 3/4 cup (6 fl. oz./180 ml) cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) distilled white vinegar or water
- 1 tsp. honey, preferably local wildflower honey, or sugar
- Kosher salt
For the tzatziki:
- 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane
- 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz./75 g) finely grated peeled cucumber, squeezed to remove excess moisture (from about 1/2 large cucumber)
- 1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g) labneh or whole-milk Greek yogurt, drained
- 1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g) crème fraîche
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
- Kosher salt
Directions:
To make the pickled red onions, place the onion slices in a heatproof jar or bowl; set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine both vinegars, the honey and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a simmer, then simmer for 1 minute. Pour the vinegar mixture over the onion slices, submerging them completely in the liquid. Let cool for 15 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 weeks.
To make the tzatziki, in a bowl, combine the lemon juice and garlic and let stand for 3 minutes, then stir in the cucumber. Add the labneh and crème fraîche and stir until combined. Stir in the mint and dill and season to taste with salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 3 days.
Just before serving, garnish the tzatziki with chopped mint and dill. Transfer the pickled red onions and tzatziki to separate small serving bowls and serve. Makes about 1 1/2 cups (5 1/2 oz./170 g) pickled red onions and 1 1/2 cups (12 oz./375 g) tzatziki.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen
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