Main navigation

Put on Your Cake Pants

From the kitchen of a semi-vegetarian with a serious sweet tooth

Tzatziki Potato Salad

tzatziki potato salad

Happy Tuesday! I’m posting today instead of yesterday because of the holiday weekend—I was so busy with other things that I didn’t have time to write a post until late last night. And I know, I know…I’m posting a recipe for potato salad the day after the Fourth of July, but in my defense, I firmly believe that potato salad ought to be enjoyed all summer long (if not all year long), rather than just on certain holidays!

tzatziki potato salad

This potato salad is a bit of a departure from the typical potato salads you’ll find in stores. The flavors are inspired by tzatziki, the yogurt and cucumber based sauce that accompanies many Greek dishes. I wasn’t familiar with tzatziki until I spent some time in Greece as a college student, but since then, I’ve found its refreshing and tangy flavor to be a real treat, especially in the summer. Since this potato salad is made with Greek yogurt rather than with mayo, you can serve it and let it sit out longer than mayo-based versions without having to worry.

tzatziki potato salad

The use of Greek yogurt in place of mayo also means that this tzatziki potato salad is healthier than many store-bought versions. If, however, you’re in the mood for a super creamy and indulgent potato salad, this probably isn’t the recipe for you. It does have a ton of flavor, though! As the boyfriend put it when he first tasted it, “Wow! It’s like getting kicked in the face…in a good way!” I personally have never been kicked in the face in a good way, but I’ll take his word for it!

tzatziki potato salad

Have you had tzatziki? What are your favorite uses for it?

Tzatziki Potato Salad
Serves 6
Save Recipe
Print
Total Time
45 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 pounds red potatoes
  2. 12 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) plain Greek yogurt (see note)
  3. 1 1/2 cups diced cucumbers (about 2 medium Persian cucumbers)
  4. 1 large clove garlic, minced
  5. 2 tablespoons vinegar
  6. 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
  7. 1 tablespoon fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  8. 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  9. 3/4 teaspoon dried parsley
  10. salt
  11. pepper
Instructions
  1. Scrub the potatoes. Place them in a large stockpot and fill the pot with water until the water covers the potatoes by about 1 1/2 inches. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the water to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Simmer until the potatoes can be pierced easily with a knife, about 15 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl of cold water.
  2. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the tzatziki. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. I added about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to start, but feel free to adjust the amounts as you see fit.
  3. Once the potatoes are done, set one aside and cut the rest into bite-sized pieces. Mash the one remaining potato with a fork. This will help to make the potato salad a little creamier.
  4. Combine the potatoes and the tzatziki, reserving 1/4 cup of the tzatziki (potatoes can absorb moisture over time, so I like to have a little extra dressing or sauce to add right before serving).
  5. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. Add as much or as little of the remaining 1/4 cup tzatziki as you like when you are ready to serve the potato salad.
Notes
  1. I recommend using regular Greek yogurt. Non-fat Greek yogurt will work, but I find the end product is, predictably, less rich and a bit flatter in the flavor department. For an even richer flavor, swap out half of the Greek yogurt for an equal amount of sour cream.
  2. I prefer to use Persian cucumbers because they are seedless, but any type of cucumber will work.
Put on Your Cake Pants http://putonyourcakepants.com/
I’m sharing this post at the following link parties: Recipe of the Week, The Wednesday Showcase, Foodie FriDIY, and Fiesta Friday.

tzatziki potato salad

Related recipes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. This looks like a wonderfully flavored potato salad! Matt and I were camping this past weekend and got prepared potato salad from Kroger that has virtually NO spices, ugh! Hope you had a great 4th of July weekend. Your pie on Instagram looks delicious!

    Reply

    • I have to admit…I *do* like some of those Kroger ones, even though I’m mentally grossed out about how much mayo goes into them. I hope you had a great time camping (aside from the potato salad)! And thanks…I had a lot of fun making the pie!

      Reply

  4. This looks and sounds absolutely delicious. I swear your photos get better every day!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for your kind words! I was having a rough day the day that you wrote this, and your comment helped cheer me up 🙂

      Reply

  8. I’m a huge fan of swapping out Greek yogurt for mayonnaise as I can’t stand the stuff in general. Thank you for sharing this refreshing salad with us– Happy FF 🙂

    Reply

    • Yeah, I definitely try to avoid mayo when I can. I’ve never tried homemade mayo, though, and some people swear it’s a game changer! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

      Reply

  9. I have a huge stalk of dill in the garden! Think I’ll stick to the mayo! Lol. Homemade mayo is the best!

    Reply

    • I’ve heard that homemade mayo is an entirely different thing…I’ll have to try it sometime! Good luck using up all the dill. We grew dill last year and it more or less took over the garden!

      Reply

    • Ooh, that sounds like a great idea – similar to gyros but probably easier to make! I’ll have to try that.

      Reply

  17. Lately I have started using yogurt for my potato salad but never thought as far as adding cucumber as well. This looks so summery and fresh 🙂

    Reply

  18. What a fabulous twist on the standard potato salad! I love tzatziki sauce and I love that it makes such a creamy coating for these potatoes – yum!

    Reply

Trackbacks

Leave a Reply