Turkish cacik, a creamy cucumber yogurt sauce, is bright, fresh, and delicious! This plant-based version is made with silken tofu, cucumber, garlic, and fresh herbs. Ready in just 15 minutes, it’s perfect as a soup, appetizer, or dip. Oil-free, vegan, and gluten-free!
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Cacik is a Turkish yogurt cucumber sauce that’s a staple in Turkish cuisine. It’s used as a dip, sauce, or even soup in Southeast European and Middle East cuisine.
Usually served on meat dishes like chicken or meat kebobs, this vegan version is just as flavorful and is excellent with vegetable kabobs, bean dishes, fresh pita, and rice. It’s bright, fresh, healthy, and absolutely delicious.
Because I believe sauces are an absolute must in plant-based diets, I had to create a healthy version of one of my favorites, Turkish cacik. I love pouring it over roasted potatoes but it is way more versatile as you soon shall see. So, let’s make it!
In This Post
- What is a cacik?
- What is the difference between Turkish cacik and Greek tzatziki?
- Cacik Ingredients
- How To Make Vegan Turkish Cacik
- Substitutions
- How to serve vegan Turkish cacik
- Shane’s equipment
- How to store vegan cacik?
- Top tips
- Related
- Pairing
- Turkish Cacik: Yogurt Cucumber Sauce (Vegan, Oil-free)
- 💬 Community
What is a cacik?
Cacik is a Turkish yogurt and cucumber-based sauce and side dish. It’s made with shredded cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, fresh mint, and sometimes one or two other herbs like fresh dill and parsley. Plain and simple, it’s a Turkish yogurt dip or sauce with cucumber.
What is the difference between Turkish cacik and Greek tzatziki?
Really, not much. They’re actually very similar.
Tzatziki tends to be a very garlicky and thick Greek yogurt dip with grated cucumber. The cucumber is squeezed to get rid of the moisture so you have a thick and spreadable dip. It's always served as a meze (appetizer) or a side dish.
Turkish cacik includes many of the same ingredients but is usually much heavier on the herbs, especially dried mint and sometimes dill.
One main difference between tzatziki and cacik is consistency. Cacik, in Turkey, is commonly served as a cooling soup in the middle of summer. But, sometimes, it is thickened like tzatziki and as a cacik dip.
Cacik Ingredients
Fresh and healthy ingredients come together quickly to create a creamy, bright, and delicious cucumber sauce.
- silken tofu (firm or extra firm)
- red wine vinegar and lemon juice
- cucumber
- garlic
- fresh mint, dill, and parsley
- salt and pepper (to taste)
See the recipe card below for exact amounts and detailed instructions.
How To Make Vegan Turkish Cacik
This dairy-free and oil-free vegan cacik sauce is so easy to make and pairs perfectly with pita bread and falafel, but is also great on top of salads and in sandwiches.
Make the silken tofu yogurt and add it to a large bowl with the grated cucumber.
Toss in the chopped garlic, mint, dill, and parsley.
Stir until everything is well combined, then season with salt and pepper as desired.
Garnish the top with fresh mint leaves and serve as a soup, sauce, or delicious dip with fresh pita bread. Enjoy!
Hint: Cacik is meant to be enjoyed right away, but you can cover it and chill it in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving if you like. I like to use these glass food storage containers if I’m making it ahead of time.
Substitutions
- Cucumbers – I used regular cucumbers but you can also use both English cucumbers and Persian cucumbers.
- Yogurt – if you don’t have silken tofu to make vegan Greek yogurt, vegan unsweetened plain yogurt works very well.
- Vinegar – apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar can be used in place of red wine vinegar when making silken tofu yogurt.
If you have a soy allergy, try using my cashew sour cream as a base for the yogurt.
How to serve vegan Turkish cacik
One of the best things about Turkish cacik is its versatility. It’s a soup, sauce, and dip. Take your pick!
- Soup – serve it in small bowls with spoons as a soup alongside rice, stuffed peppers, or even green beans.
- Sauce – drizzle on top of veggie kabobs, falafel, rice, or salads.
- Dip – if you’re going for a meze spread with other dishes be sure and make the cacik thicker. Serve it with warm pita bread along with hummus and baba ganoush.
Shane’s equipment
- mixing bowls
- wooden spoon
- chef’s knife
- cutting board
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
How to store vegan cacik?
Place any leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Because of the ingredients, this recipe is best served fresh and should not be frozen.
Top tips
- If you want the consistency of real Turkish cacik, do not squeeze the cucumber. Remember, it’s not meant to be as thick as tzatziki. There’s also no need to peel the cucumber before shredding it.
- The Turkish yogurt sauce is best when enjoyed immediately, so if you don’t want leftovers, cut the recipe in half.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Turkish cacik:
Turkish Cacik: Yogurt Cucumber Sauce (Vegan, Oil-free)
Turkish cacik, a creamy cucumber yogurt sauce, is bright, fresh, and delicious! This plant-based version is made with silken tofu, cucumber, garlic, and fresh herbs. Ready in just 15 minutes, it's perfect as a soup, appetizer, or dip. Oil-free, vegan, and gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Refrigerate: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Dressings & Sauces
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
For the vegan yogurt:
- 1 box (12 ounces) firm or extra-firm silken tofu
- 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
- Salt to taste
For the cacik (Turkish yogurt-cucumber sauce)
- 1 large cucumber (peeled and grated)
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon of fresh mint, chopped
- 1 tablespoon of fresh dill, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by making vegan yogurt. Place the silken tofu, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and salt in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour the silken tofu mixture into a large mixing bowl.
- Shred the cucumber with a box grater and add it to the bowl with the silken tofu yogurt.
- Add the chopped garlic, parsley, mint, and dill to the bowl and stir until everything is well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Enjoy right away or cover and chill in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Notes
Only use silken tofu for this recipe if you want a smooth sauce. Regular tofu will be too thick and “mealy.”
This sauce is not meant to be thick like tzatziki. If you want it thicker then squeeze the moisture out of the cucumber before mixing with the silken tofu.
Unsweetened plain vegan yogurt is a good substitute if you don’t have silken tofu.
Dry spices may be used in place of fresh spices. Use half the amount of fresh spices as they are more concentrated in flavor.
Vegan cacik can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days, but it does not freeze well.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
- Calories: 78
- Sugar: 2.5 g
- Sodium: 39.8 mg
- Fat: 2.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.9 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 7.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
VERY GOOD
Turkish cacik, a creamy cucumber yogurt sauce, is bright, fresh, and delicious! This plant-based version is made with silken tofu, cucumber, garlic, and fresh herbs. Ready in just 15 minutes, it’s perfect as a soup, appetizer, or dip. Oil-free, vegan, and gluten-free.