Yogurt Dill Sauce

This yogurt dill sauce for salmon and shrimp doubles as a delightful healthy dip for veggies – fresh or grilled. It is both flavorful and very healthy – loaded with probiotics and prebiotics and is naturally rich in protein. And it comes together so quickly that you can make it fresh every time you have a craving for it or need to serve a delicious sauce for salmon on a short notice. 

Go straight to the Recipe Card or Read on for useful tips (about 1 minute)

About This Dill Sauce with Yogurt

This yogurt sauce is something I grew up eating and in my family it was always, always made with dill. It was one of the first things I learned to make as soon as I was allowed to use a knife to mince and finely chop two of the key ingredients. 

Not only is it very delicious as a sauce drizzled over salmon, chicken, grilled vegetables and more, it is absolutely perfect for dipping fresh veggies like carrots, asparagus, cucumber sticks, snow peas, broccolini, radishes. 

Ingredients for Yogurt Dip

You will need the few simple ingredients listed below, a knife and a cutting board, a bowl and a couple of minutes.

Plain yogurt – creamy, cultured in the cup yogurt works best

Olive oil – use extra virgin olive oil for more robust flavor 

Garlic – whole cloves or if you like a milder flavor – garlic chives

Dill – fresh is best, but if you absolutely cannot find any, use a generous amount of dried dill weed

Salt – kosher salt or sea salt are best.

How to Make Yogurt Dill Sauce  

To make this yogurt dip all you have to do is:

• mince or press the peeled garlic cloves
• finely chop the dill
• in a bowl combine garlic, dill, olive oil, yogurt and salt to taste
• mix them with fork or a spoon

I like to mix together all the ingredients except for the yogurt first. They come together in a vibrant looking concoction with a paste like consistency. Once I add the yogurt they easily blend in.

 

Storing Yogurt Sauce

Store the dill yogurt sauce in an airtight container and refrigerated. It will keep well for a week. Give it a stir before serving after storing in the refrigerator as some water might separate. 

Culinary Side Notes

A curious fact I want to share is that this exact yogurt dip forms the base of a Bulgarian cold yogurt soup known as tarator. It is ultra refreshing on a hot summer day and so tasty. Every Bulgarian eats tarator. It is a great starter dish or meze.

Another curious fact is that if you add diced cucumber and lemon juice to the dip you will swear it is tzatziki. This is because Bulgarian and Greek cuisines have multiple commonalities. Over the centuries vast parts of Greece were Bulgarian territories, later both countries were under Ottoman rule for many years and then during multiple Balkan wars Bulgarian and Greek lands changed hands frequently. Hence the shared food traditions and culinary heritage of the modern countries. 

TIP: You can substitute dill with mint, parsley, oregano, or thyme for a flavor twist.

To me without dill a yogurt sauce simply doesn’t taste right. You go ahead and add whatever herb you want if dill is not your thing. Lucky, unencumbered you:)

Easy Dill Yogurt Sauce Serving Suggestions

We keep a bowl of yogurt sauce in the fridge at all times. My favorite ways to consume it are: 

• Dip veggies – fresh or grilled in it (English cucumber sticks are especially good to that end)
• Dip Lamb & Feta Meatballs in it or Lamb Lollipops
• Serve a dollop of it over or next to thinly sliced roasted eggplant or zucchini or avocado slices
• Dip homemade fries in it
• Use it as a dressing for potato salad
• Serve it with chicken skewers or pork souvlaki
• Serve it alongside Pan Seared Salmon
• Use it as a meat tenderizing marinade (for example tough cuts of lamb smothered in this dip become amazingly tender after a few hours)

Health Benefits of This Yogurt Dill Sauce

I’ve been making this exact yogurt sauce throughout my entire adult life.

Before I ever realized how beneficial it was for the body, before there was genetic sequencing to study the multitudes of bacteria residing in the human body and make sense of how essential probiotics and prebiotics are to every aspect of our health. 

• Because it is packed with probiotics (good bacteria rich plain yogurt) and prebiotic (garlic) this dip can perform wonders for your gut micro flora and as a consequence for your overall physical and mental health.
• It can also combat the negative effects of sugar consumption.
• And don’t forget the anti-inflammatory properties of extra virgin olive oil.
• A couple of the lactobacillus strains contained in yogurt are associated with weight loss and control. 

You Need to Be Eating (A Lot of) Yogurt Dip If

• You are a huge craft beer drinker like us or frequently enjoy other alcoholic beverages.
• You consume high glycemic index food or beverages on a daily basis.
• You have taken or are taking antibiotics.
• You have eaten a Western diet with a lot of processed foods for most of your life.
• Are trying to loose weight.
• Feel bloated or depressed – not joking, I’ve experienced the blissful effect of yogurt dip on well-being numerous times (mind gut connection).

Below is a list of books that can help you understand the full scope of health benefits brought about by consuming probiotics and prebiotics. The subject matter is nothing short of fascinating and these three books are the best I have read on gut health.

The Mind-Gut Connection – How the Hidden Conversation Within Our Bodies Impacts Our Mood, Our Choices, and Our Overall Health by Emeran Mayer

Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain–for Life by David Perlmutter

I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong

Yogurt Dill Sauce (for Salmon, Veggies & More)

Yield: 2 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Delicious, healthy yougurt sauce with dill that also works as a dip for veggies. Must use quality ingredients to reap benefits. Serve with salmon, shrimp. fresh or grilled vegetables, fries, lamb, chicken, pork etc.

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Ingredients

• 2-3 cloves garlic, depending on your raw garlic flavor tolerance & preference
• 1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
• 1 tsp salt, or a little more, to taste
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 3/4 cups plain yogurt with live cultures, cultured in the cup recommended

Instructions

1. Mince the garlic as small as you can. Place in a small bowl.
2. Add the finely chopped fresh dill, the salt and the extra virgin olive oil. Mix well with a fork.
3. Add the yogurt and mix with a fork until all ingredients get incorporated in the yogurt.
4. Taste and adjust ingredients to your liking. Enjoy!

Notes

The flavors develop after a day and it you can count on the dip becoming even tastier.

The garlic tends to settle towards the bottom once the dip has sat refrigerated in a container. And if the yogurt you used had a higher water content, tiny pools of water may form on the surface after a day or two in the fridge. Fear not, just give the dip a quick stir and it will be just as creamy as on the day you made it.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 3 tbsp
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 63Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 261mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 2g

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