Basic Yogurt Sauce
- Total Time
- 5 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:1¼ cups
- 1cup Greek-style yogurt, preferably whole milk yogurt (8 ounces/225 grams)
- 2tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2tablespoons lime juice (from 1 large lime), more to taste
- ½teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1garlic clove
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2.5 servings)
181 calories; 16 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 278 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together yogurt, mint, oil, lime juice, salt and 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Use a rasp grater to finely grate garlic into the bowl. Stir, taste and adjust salt and lime juice as needed. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days.
Tips
- To make Persian cucumber yogurt, stir in ½ cup minced, peeled cucumber (about ½ Persian cucumber), 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro and 1 tablespoon finely chopped dill. Serve alongside grilled chicken, fish or lamb. Thin with a little water and drizzle over sliced tomatoes for a simple salad.
- To make carrot raita, substitute 3 tablespoons cilantro for mint and add ½ cup peeled, grated carrot (about 1 small carrot) and half a small jalapeño pepper, minced. Sizzle 1 tablespoon cumin seeds in 1 tablespoon ghee or neutral oil until seeds begin to pop, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir into yogurt. Serve with lamb or vegetable curries. Spoon atop spicy chickpeas, basmati rice, or roast salmon. Thin with a little water and drizzle over roasted beets, carrots and fennel.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Laura
Adding sumac to this takes it from good to outstanding.
Neeraja Sankaran
Your tzatziki... my raita... like you said.. all variations always yummy
Fred M.
Fred
There are so many variations of this sauce. Toasted fennel seeds ground and added in place of cumin. Some people just don't like the smothering flavor of cumin. Finely chopped chives also adds a more savory flavor. I've also seen one using diced tomatoes. It all depends what you're making it for, and how much futzing around you do, although whatever's added should have some relevance to the rest of whatever you're preparing.
heather
Laura dear, this suggestion elevates you to my kitchen hero of the day. I adore sumac. I'll be za'atar would be good, too!
marlette
I used this as a variation of one of my husband's favorite salads, cucumber and onion in sour cream.
I added thinly sliced Vadalia onion and thinly sliced the remainder of the cucumber plus 1/8" sliced English cucumber.
Very nice!
Joan Bowers
Tried this on a fruit/summer salad last night. Mine contained arugula, lacinato kale strips, seedless red grape halves and watermelon balls. Scrumptious. Next time may add crumbled cheese (gorgonzola is my favorite).
Lise Fry
Tzatziki basically with variations, always yummy
ksned
Quick tip: thinning the sauce with unsweetened soy milk instead of water won't thin the taste.
Crawley
I made this and both my husband and I loved it. I actually doubled the recipe. I used half the sauce as a marinade for chunks of chicken breast. After an overnight rest in the sauce, I then threaded the chunks on skewers along with vegetables for a shish kebob. I served the grilled kebobs with the remainder of yogurt sauce. Will do this again.
Alan
Lise, this is nothing like the tzatziki I'm used to, -no vinegar, no dill, however the use of lime juice is something I will try.
Satoshi
The basic yogurt sauce is essentially tzatziki sauce. It's very good with the whole milk greek yogurt, but next time I may try it with nonfat greek yogurt to see how it compares. Recommend adding a touch of sugar or honey if the tang is too strong.
Jen
Made this to go with a roast lamb shoulder and garlic roasted potatoes. While it was great with the lamb, I think it was even better with the potatoes.
Wade
The Persian cucumber yogurt version of this sauce is an absolute must to accompany oven-roasted chicken shawarma or grilled chicken with grilled or roasted vegetables. Delicious and flavorful. Pairs well with hummus and/or garlic lemon juice to provide dipping options for pitas or naan stuffed with tasty meat or vegetables.
Diane
perfect basic sauce; served with lemon/garlic chicken kabobs
Peg C
This sauce is perfect. I have made it 3 times now, not using the cucumber but just the basic sauce. It gets even better after a day or two in the fridge. I think the tip on grating garlic rather than chopping makes a big difference. I use exactly 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice.
John M
Use lemon instead of lime.
christine
This sauce was so delicious! Only thing I’ll change next time is halving the olive oil. Didn’t need that much to taste so great.
Emma
Simple but excellent!
Michael
Added a tbsp of harissa and am very glad I did
SPG
I had no lime or even lemon juice. I did have a bottle of pure Yuzu juice in the fridge. It was a splendid substitute.
EveR
Better to avoid adding salt, I use goat milk yogurt since it's so much better for our health and the environment. It also adds enough tang so no salt needed!
January
Substituted cilantro for mint and served over roasted sweet potatoes and fresh cucumber. Super yummy. Love how versatile the basic recipe is.
33520457
Amazing recipe but reduce the lime juice it’s too sour
EveR
Agreed, I use lemon - more versatile
DFG
Easter 4-4-2021: Unable to buy fresh mint, I substituted Mint Extract for fresh mint. Using the recipes for Cucumber Mint Sauce (Molly O’Neill) and Basic Yogurt Sauce (Samin Nosrat) as a guide, I added Mint Extract to a yogurt sauce of jalapeño, cucumber, scallion, olive oil, lime juice, garlic and salt. This paired perfectly with our Roasted Leg of Lamb: https://damndelicious.net/2019/04/06/roasted-leg-of-lamb/
Deejay
I can’t believe I overlooked this gem of a recipe! Easy to whisk together but yields so much flavor. Make at least 30 minutes in advance of serving to allow ingredients to harmonize. Za’atar definitely amps up the flavor. Great served with grilled or roasted chicken, broiled lamb chops, rice pilaf, or cucumbers and tomatoes. Samin’s recipes are always a hit with my family!
Megan
Used 1/2 cumin and 1/2 ground coriander
Moses
A better substitute for greek yogurt, if you can find it, is quark. I only remember this from living in Germany, and knowing Apple Farms in WA State, but never knew much about the product. Except it is pretty versatile and quite tasty.
Leslie
Yum, served with Martha Shulman’s brown lentils. Sumac or za’atar would be a nice addition.
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