This simple, 3-ingredient vegan yoghurt sauce is incredibly light and refreshing, providing a perfect, cool contrast to a whole variety of dishes. You can enjoy it as it is, seasoned with just a little lemon juice and sea salt, on falafel and vegan döner kebabs. Customise it to your own personal taste by adding a fourth ingredient, such as minced garlic, a drizzling of extra virgin olive oil, fresh dill, mint, or even cilantro. Dill yoghurt sauce goes really well with vegan smoked salmon, for example. Minced garlic adds a sharp, pungent, and slightly spicy flavour for those who like a yoghurt sauce with a bit more kick. A cool and refreshing mint version would be perfect with a spicy Indian biriyani, for example.
I made this sauce with soya yoghurt, but you could use coconut, almond or oat if you prefer. I find soya yoghurt the most neutral and versatile for use in savoury recipes. While I might have a coconut yoghurt for breakfast, I wouldn’t fancy it in a savoury yoghurt sauce.
You can whip this sauce up in minutes. Hang the yoghurt briefly for a thicker sauce, or thin it down to drizzle over kebabs and falafel. Add lemon juice and a pinch of unrefined sea salt and beat it with a spoon for a few seconds to make it smooth and creamy. Add any of the optional extras, and enjoy! You’ll find plenty of delicious serving suggestions at the bottom of this page.
Vegan yoghurt sauce ingredients
You’ll find the exact quantities of each ingredient in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Yoghurt – Use soya yoghurt or sub with coconut, almond or oat yoghurt. Whatever kind you choose, it must be plain and unsweetened. Where I live, on the border between Switzerland and Italy, in case you didn’t know, we have this great vegan Greek-style soya yoghurt – it’s thicker than normal soya yoghurt (because it’s been hung), and it’s perfect for recipes like this.
Lemon juice – Wherever possible, use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Lemon juice provides a fresh, zesty tang. While lemon juice is best here, you could substitute it with apple cider vinegar at a pinch.
Salt – Here we go again on about salt. Sorry if I’m repetitive, but it’s kind of become a mission of mine to inform people about salt. Common table salt will never do you any favours – it’s been stripped of all its naturally occurring minerals, and believe me, it had plenty. Manufacturers use chemicals in the refining process to make salt “clean” and white. Two examples are anticaking agents and bleaching agents. Need I say more?
I use natural, unrefined, grey sea salt, which has been hand-harvested in the Guérande region of France for centuries. This is not a sponsored link nor an affiliate link – I’m just trying to be helpful. If you want to know more about why you shouldn’t be using supermarket table salt, read this.
How to make simple vegan yoghurt sauce
Instructions
You’ll find step-by-step instructions with photos in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Optional step: for thick yoghurt sauce, hang it to get rid of the excess water. Spoon the yoghurt into a cheesecloth and hang it over a tap or tall container for 10 – 15 minutes. This will separate the solids from the water (like filtering whey from dairy yoghurt), making it thick and creamy.
- Beat the yoghurt with a spoon to make it smooth and creamy.
- Add the lemon juice and salt and stir to combine. For a drizzling sauce, thin it down with a teaspoon or two of water.
- Add anything else you fancy, like minced garlic, chopped fresh or dried dill, chopped fresh mint, or a drizzling of extra virgin olive oil. Keep the yoghurt sauce in the fridge until ready to use.
How to serve
Here are some serving suggestions for this vegan yoghurt sauce as it is or with an optional add-on:
Plain yoghurt sauce or with garlic
- on döner kebabs and falafel
- with vegan kofta
- with grilled vegetables
- as a dip for spicy potato wedges, sweet potato chips, tortilla chips or raw vegetable sticks
- as a sauce for buddha bowls
Dill yoghurt sauce
- with vegan smoked salmon
- in vegan burgers and cheeseburgers
- on baked potatoes
- on salads
- with Greek dishes like vegan gyros
mint yoghurt sauce
- with biriyani
- as an accompaniment to Indian curries and Indian flatbreads in general
with extra virgin olive oil
- for vegan meatballs, polpette di melanzane, courgette fritters, and vegetable patties
- with grilled courgettes
- in piadinas and sandwiches
Cilantro lime yoghurt sauce
- Substitute lime for lemon juice and serve on tacos, fajitas, and tortillas instead of sour cream.
How to store
Store this vegan yoghurt sauce in an airtight container in the fridge where it will keep for a couple of days.
Can you freeze yoghurt sauce?
This yoghurt sauce isn’t suitable for freezing. Plus, it takes just minutes to make – far less time than it would take for it to defrost – so there would be no point in trying to freeze it.
I hope you like this simple vegan yoghurt sauce recipe! If you do, I’d love to hear about it! Let me know in the comments below, or take a quick pic and share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook @vegan_hot_stuff – I love seeing your re-creations!
Vegan yoghurt sauce
4
servings5
minutesA light and refreshing, 3-ingredient vegan yoghurt sauce that you can make in 5 minutes and customise with optional additions like garlic, dill or mint.
Recipe by Deborah, veganhotstuff.com
The quantities indicated below are for four people.
Ingredients
250 g vegan soya yoghurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small clove of minced garlic (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or mint (optional)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
Directions
- Optional step: For a thicker sauce, hang the yoghurt to get rid of the excess water.
Put the yoghurt in a cheesecloth and hang it over a tap or tall container for 10 – 15 minutes. - Beat the yoghurt with a spoon until smooth and creamy. Add the lemon juice and salt and stir to combine. For a drizzling sauce, thin it down with a teaspoon or two of water.
- Add anything else you fancy, like minced garlic, chopped fresh or dried dill, chopped fresh mint, or a drizzling of extra virgin olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
- See the tips and serving suggestions in the main blog post above.
Frequently asked questions
How can I thicken a yoghurt sauce?
The best way to thicken a yoghurt sauce is to hang the yoghurt before making the sauce. If you’ve already made the sauce, you could thicken it by whisking in some vegan cream cheese or crème fraîche. Some people add a small amount of cornflour (cornstarch). Both these methods will alter the flavour of the sauce. Cooling the sauce in the refrigerator can help it thicken slightly, as the cooler temperature makes the yoghurt firmer.
Is yoghurt sauce gluten-free?
Yes, yoghurt sauce is generally gluten-free, as it is typically made from yoghurt, herbs, spices, and other gluten-free ingredients like lemon juice or garlic. However, some store-bought versions might contain added ingredients, thickeners, or flavourings that could contain gluten. Always check the label to be sure. If you are making it at home, using plain yoghurt and fresh ingredients will ensure it is gluten-free.
How do you make yoghurt sauce more tangy or less tangy?
To make the yoghurt more tangy, increase the amount of lemon juice, lime juice or vinegar. Garlic also increases the tang. Some vegan yoghurts contain live cultures, which naturally make them tangier.
How do you prevent yoghurt sauce from separating or curdling?
Curdling happens more often with warm or hot yoghurt sauces. It shouldn’t happen with this cold yoghurt sauce.
Can yoghurt sauce be used as a marinade?
Yes, yoghurt sauce can be used for marinating vegetables or vegan meat alternatives. Try marinated seitan skewers or vegan chicken tikka masala.
Before you go, maybe you’d like to take a look at some other popular vegan recipes…
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