Is Tzatziki Vegan, Vegetarian & Dairy Free?

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Tzatziki is a popular greek dip, sauce in Southeast Europe and the Middle East cuisine, and is enjoyed in many parts of the world. It is a great source of protein and probiotics, which can help support digestive health. But is it vegan friendly? Let’s find out.

In this article, we’re going to examine Tzatziki ingredients and get you the answers you need to determine if it is suitable for vegans.

Tzatziki, also known as tarator or cacik, is a versatile sauce that can be used in a variety of dishes, from sandwiches and wraps to salads.

Tarator was the name of a dish made of ground walnuts and vinegar in the Ottoman Empire.

Now, let’s check the ingredients inside tzatziki.

What is Tzatziki made of?

Tzatziki is a creamy cucumber yogurt dip (or sauce) made from simple ingredients including :

Salted strained yogurt or diluted yogurt mixed with cucumbers, olive oil, garlic, salt, sometimes with vinegar or lemon juice, and herbs such as dill, mint, parsley and thyme.

Is Tzatziki Vegan?

Unfortunately, NO. Traditional tzatziki is not vegan because it contains dairy yogurt and sometimes other dairy products such as sour cream.

Yogurt is a dairy product made by fermenting milk with a yogurt culture.

However, there are vegan versions of tzatziki that are made with non-dairy yogurt, such as soy or coconut yogurt, instead of dairy yogurt.

Is There a Vegan Tzatziki?

Yes. There’s a Vegan Tzatziki recipe! Creamy, refreshing and, best of all, even though its dairy-free, it tastes just like the original!

You just need to replace the dairy yoghurt with dairy free yogurt(like coconut yogurt), and the rest is the same as the original Tzatziki.

There’s also some vegan tzatziki made with silken tofu, that makes a suitable substitute for dairy in many vegan dessert recipes, keeping sweets lower in fat and calories with little loss of flavor.

Here’s a vegan Tzatziki recipe.

Vegan Tzatziki recipe:

Here’s a simple recipe for vegan tzatziki:

Is Tzatziki Vegetarian?

Tzatziki sauce is made from yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, salt and vinegar.

It has an animal product, the yogurt, but it has no animal flesh. So it would be vegetarian if one is a Lacto-Vegetarian, a diet that includes vegetables as well as dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt.

Therefore Tzatziki is vegetarian.

Is Tzatziki Dairy-Free?

No. Tzatziki is not dairy free.

It contains dairy yogurt as a main ingredient.

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Is Tzatziki Gluten Free?

Yes, tzatziki is gluten free. It does not contain any gluten ingredient.

Which makes Tzatziki safe for people with Celiac Disease or a gluten allergy.

Please note that while we take care to make sure the information displayed on our website is correct, recipes are regularly changed.

So always double check before eating at restaurants.

Final Thoughts:

Tzatziki is not vegan friendly as it is made with ingredients that are not plant based such as dairy yogurt.