Take an already delicious creamy dip and make it higher in protein. Swapping the Greek yogurt for blended cottage cheese in tzatziki still keeps it super creamy, but with a bump in protein. Cottage Cheese Tzatziki is great as a snack with veggie sticks or crackers, or added to a salad or sandwich.
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This cottage cheese tzatziki takes less than 10 minutes to put together and it is the ultimate refreshing summer dip. It's high in protein and my whole family love it!
Put it out with some pita bread, crudites or crackers and it's perfect for entertaining too. I always make a BIG batch of this if we have people over for a BBQ.
Looking for more healthy dip recipes? Why not try my protein packed Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip or Edamame Hummus, delicious Butter Bean Hummus or our amazing Restaurant Style Salsa?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Cottage Cheese - We used 0% fat to make it lower in calories and fat, however a higher fat percentage will make this tzatziki with cottage cheese much creamier. Try to use the best quality cottage cheese you can, as the cheaper brands tend to be more watery and you really can taste the difference.
- Cucumber - This is what you will find in traditional tzatziki and it helps to bulk it out a bit. If you wanted to make this healthy tzatziki even more nutritious, then swap the cucumber of grated courgette (zucchini).
- Dill - We have travelled extensively around Greece and one thing is for sure, the fresh herbs used in tzatziki was different each time we had it. Some used just mint, some used just dill and some used a combination of both. We have used just dill as that's our preference and it's milder than mint so it makes it more appealing for my kids. Always use fresh dill and not dried.
- Lemon - You want to make sure your lemon is really juicy. If it is too dry, then you might need to use another whole or half lemon. It really does depend on your preference though.
- Garlic - You don't need to crush it first, as the blender does it all for you. Make sure to use fresh garlic.
- Feta - This is optional, but in our house feta cheese is always a necessity! The feta not only adds a little bit of extra saltiness to the high protein tzatziki, but a nice chunky texture.
- Oil - A little bit of olive oil drizzled on top before serving just adds to those Greek food vibes. Use extra virgin olive oil.
Variations
Greek yogurt - If you didn't want to do this with just cottage cheese, you could do half Greek yogurt and half cottage cheese blended together.
Chunks - If you wanted a chunkier texture for your dip, then you don't have to blend the cottage cheese and just leave it as it is. You can buy some smaller curd cottage cheese that will give you the best of both worlds.
Higher Protein - To make it more filling, and higher in protein, I like to mix some tuna or shredded cooked chicken into it.
How To Make Cottage Cheese Tzatziki
- Step 1: Put the cottage cheese, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Step 2: Pour the blended cottage cheese into a bowl and add the grated cucumber, dill and feta.
- Step 3: Give it a really good mix.
- Step 4: Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and some extra dill.
Serving Suggestions
This high protein tzatziki is SO versatile. I mostly just eat it straight out of the bowl whilst I am deciding what to make for a meal or snack!
If you are having it as a high protein snack, then you could just scoop it up with some crackers or tortilla chips. Try our Homemade Crackers or Baked Tortilla Chips. You could also scoop it up with carrot sticks and cucumber slices for something lighter.
For more of a meal, you could load it into a sandwich between some slices of sourdough, in a pita bread or our Cottage Cheese Bagels to make it even higher in protein with some roast turkey.
You can also add it to our Greek Chicken Bowl or Greek Salmon Bowl. Of course, it's a delicious addition to a Picky Plate!
Dannii's Top Tips
- Make sure you squeeze as much excess liquid out of the grated cucumber as possible, as if it is too watery, then you won't have a thick dip which is the aim.
- Taste the cottage cheese tzatziki as you are making it. You might want to adjust the amount of lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper used.
- I prefer the cucumber shredded, but you can dice it to add a bit more texture if you prefer.
- Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
More Cottage Cheese Recipes
If you've tried this tzatziki with cottage cheese, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Cottage Cheese Tzatziki
Ingredients
- 300 g (1.33 cups) of Fat free cottage cheese
- 200 g (1.5 cups) of Cucumber - grated
- 5 g (0.25 cups) of Fresh dill
- 2 tablespoon of Lemon juice
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 40 g (1.33 oz) of Feta
- 1 tablespoon of Olive oil
- 1 pinch of Sea salt
- 1 pinch of Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Put 300 g of Fat free cottage cheese, 2 Garlic cloves, 2 tbsp of Lemon juice, 1 pinch of Sea salt and 1 pinch of Ground black pepper into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour the blended cottage cheese into a bowl and add 200 g of Cucumber (grated), 5 g of Fresh dill and 40 g of Feta.
- Give it a really good mix.
- Serve topped with 1 tbsp of Olive oil and some extra dill.
Recipe Video
Recipe Tips
- Make sure you squeeze as much excess liquid out of the grated cucumber as possible, as if it is too watery, then you won't have a thick dip which is the aim.
- Taste the cottage cheese tzatziki as you are making it. You might want to adjust the amount of lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper used.
- I prefer the cucumber shredded, but you can dice it to add a bit more texture if you prefer.
- Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Cat McDonald says
This was delicious - I also added some Greek yoghurt, because I had some that needed using up, and it made it go further. I had it with a tin of sardines in olive oil and some re- heated left over broad beans and courgettes. Went perfectly! We’ll have the rest tonight as a side with a traybake
emma wright says
Yummy recipe, really ejoyed this with our chicken pitta but left out the dill as we didn't have any, it was sil great.
Brandi says
So delicious! I will be making this often!