Creamy Yogurt Cucumber Salad Recipe

This creamy yogurt cucumber salad recipe is slightly tart and refreshing and can be eaten with almost anything! The best part is that it can be made in minutes with essential ingredients in your refrigerator! Yogurt cucumber as a side dish is typically served on a deliciously charred kabob or taboon bread next to a plate of authentic chicken musakhan in the Middle East. 

What is CreamyYogurt Cucumber Salad? 

Yogurt cucumber salad is versatile with European-style yogurt, Persian cucumbers, mint, and garlic! It is traditionally used in Middle Eastern Cuisine in recipes or served as a side dish. This will serve as a great side dish for my Roasted chicken with zaatar and sumac, slow-roasted lamb shoulder, or next to oven-baked chicken breast. This creamy yogurt cucumber salad is very similar to tzatziki sauce. However, there are slight differences that make them distinguishable. For example, drain the water from the cucumbers and use dill as the herb instead of mint for a traditional tzatziki sauce recipe. 

Tips to Make The Best Yogurt Cucumber Salad 

• Could you make sure to buy European-style yogurt for this recipe? I like to use European-style yogurt instead of Greek yogurt since it has a more liquid consistency. However, since both Greek and European yogurt is smooth and creamy, you can add some cold, filtered water to the yogurt so it thins out. 
• English or Persian cucumbers are the best for this recipe since their seeds are tiny. That way, you don’t need to spend time trying to take the seeds out or strain the extra water from them. 
• I peel most of the cucumbers, but I also leave some of the skin so that the creamy yogurt salad has more of a crunchy texture to it. 
• A combination of fresh and dry mint makes this the best recipe for yogurt cucumber salad. The fresh mint adds brightness to the side dish, while the dry mint gives the dish a deep earthy flavor. 
• When you finish making the yogurt-cucumber salad, please keep it in the fridge for a couple of hours so that all the flavors will soak into the sauce.

Health Benefits of Cucumber

Cucumbers have loads of health benefits. They contain 96% water, are best for preventing dehydration, and are ideal for detoxification. Cucumbers help regulate blood pressure, thus reducing the risk of heart disease. They aid digestion and help lower blood sugar. Due to its high water content, it helps in weight loss and enhances skin health.