Chicago-Style Tzatziki

Rich, creamy, Chicago gyro-shop style tzatziki with little pieces of cucumber. Made with strained regular yogurt and sour cream instead of Greek yogurt, so it's thick but not sour. Great with chicken kebabs, gyros, shawarma, pitas and grilled meats. Tastes best after chilling a few hours so the garlic mellows.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Line a sieve with cheesecloth or a coffee filter, set it over a bowl, add 1 cup plain regular whole-milk yogurt, and refrigerate about 2 hours until thick. Discard the liquid.

Step 2

Finely dice 1/2 English cucumber into small pieces to make 3/4 cup (peel if the skin is thick, and scoop out the seeds if seedy). Toss with 1/4 tsp kosher salt and let sit 15 to 30 minutes, then squeeze very dry in a towel.

Step 3

In a bowl, stir the strained yogurt with 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream, 2 grated garlic cloves (up to 3 cloves for extra garlic), 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

Step 4

Fold in the 3/4 cup squeezed diced cucumber. Cover and chill at least 1 hour, preferably 2 to 4 hours or overnight. Stir before serving.