Tzatziki Potato Salad

Name: Tzatziki Potato Salad
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 Persian or mini cucumbers, coarsely grated; 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more as needed; 2 teaspoons honey, plus more as needed (optional); 1 garlic clove, grated; Kosher salt and black pepper; 2 1/2 pounds small red, new or fingerling potatoes, washed and halved (or cut into 1-inch pieces, if large); 3 Persian or mini cucumbers, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds; 1/3 cup black olives, such as Kalamata or oil-cured, pitted, and torn in half if large; 1/4 cup chopped dill; 1/4 cup chopped mint; Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling; 1/2 lemon

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated Aug. 22, 2022

Tzatziki Potato Salad — Hetty McKinnon for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 4(1,538)
Comments: Read comments

Tzatziki, the classic Greek combination of garlic, yogurt and cucumber, is incredibly versatile and often served with grilled meat, gyros, roasted vegetables or simply flatbread. Here, it is the sauce for a fresh potato salad. Opt for a waxy potato, such as red, new or fingerlings, as these varieties contain the least starch and will retain their shape when boiled. (All-purpose Yukon Golds work, too.) The potatoes are left unpeeled for texture, but peel them if you prefer, and make sure they are roughly the same size to ensure even cooking. The tzatziki benefits from resting for at least 10 to 15 minutes before being added to the potatoes, so prepare it before you start the potatoes, or better yet, make it the night before and let it hang out in the fridge so the flavors can get to know one another. A little honey lends a floral, subtle sweetness, but omit it if you want this dish to be purely savory.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

For the Tzatziki

2Persian or mini cucumbers, coarsely grated
1cup full-fat Greek yogurt
1tablespoon olive oil
1tablespoon lemon juice, plus more as needed
2teaspoons honey, plus more as needed (optional)
1garlic clove, grated
Kosher salt and black pepper

For the Salad

2½pounds small red, new or fingerling potatoes, washed and halved (or cut into 1-inch pieces, if large)
3Persian or mini cucumbers, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
⅓cup black olives, such as Kalamata or oil-cured, pitted, and torn in half if large
¼cup chopped dill
¼cup chopped mint
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
½lemon

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
To make the tzatziki, place grated cucumber in a colander over the sink and squeeze vigorously to remove any excess moisture. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, honey (if using), garlic, ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings; it should be tart, savory and a little sweet. Add more salt, pepper, honey and lemon juice accordingly; set aside.
Step 2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and simmer over medium-high for 12 to 15 minutes until just tender. Drain and allow to cool for 8 to 10 minutes until they are just warm to the touch.
Step 3
Prepare the salad: In a large bowl, combine the cooked potatoes with the tzatziki, sliced cucumbers, olives, dill and mint; season generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, squeeze the lemon on top and serve. Store leftovers in a covered container, chilled, for 1 to 2 days.

Ratings

4 out of 5

1,538 user ratings

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Comments

hl4 years ago

Excellent reminder to add the dressing to the potatoes while they are still warm; this allows the dressing to really "soak" in. This would be good freshly made and still just room temperature but even better if made ahead to allow all the flavors to really blend. Only change I make--potato salad without any onion at all just seems to be missing something, so adding some finely chopped onion with the potatoes, etc., makes this perfect.

Sean4 years ago

My favorite Greek restaurant in Seattle makes the very best Tzatsiki sauce that I could eat by the spoonful. Their secret is the addition of sour cream to the yoghurt, it give the sauce a je ne sais quois quality.

Maria4 years ago

Add a teaspoon of salt to the grated cucumbers in the colander and let them rest for 20 minutes before squeezing the moisture out. Skip the salt in the yoghurt. This way you get a really smooth non watery tzatziki.

Nori11 months ago

Delicious -- a 4th-of-July hit! I made a few small modifications: I used 6 oz. of goat yogurt vs. 1 C of Greek yogurt since that's what I had on hand and it's lower-lactose; I added ~1 lb trimmed, cut, and blanched green beans for crunch; and I used ~2 finely-chopped garlic scapes instead of garlic, again since that's what I had. A big hit with all; would do again.

Sarah11 months ago

Loved it ! Perfect, I would add thinly sliced jalepeno next time!

Cory H1 year ago

There was a big storm last night, and a flooded road between me and the store that sells Persian cukes and fresh dill, so I walked to the discount grocery by my house and bought regular cucumbers. I scooped out the seeds, and it seemed to be just fine. Also had a red onion in the fridge, of which I added just less than 1/4 cup and found it to be a nice touch. I used 1heaping tbsp dry dill, and after the salad chilled in the fridge overnight it's delicious.

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