Turkish Cacik with Dill and Garlic

Name: Turkish Cacik with Dill and Garlic
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 12 oz (340 g) Persian or small seedless cucumbers, peeled if the skin is thick or bitter, then coarsely grated on a box grater (about 2 cups grated); 1 tsp (5 g) fine sea salt, divided: ½ tsp for the cucumber, ½ tsp for the yogurt, adjusting to taste; 2 cups (490 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, cold, stirred smooth; 1 cup (240 ml) ice-cold water, plus 1–2 tbsp more if needed to thin; 2 medium (8 g) garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated into a paste; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh dill, fronds only, finely chopped (about 3 tbsp chopped), plus a few small sprigs for garnish; 2 tbsp (27 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided: 1 tbsp stirred in, 1 tbsp for drizzling; 1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed, only if your yogurt is mild (optional); ½ tsp (½ g) dried mint, crushed between your fingers, for garnish (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A cool, refreshing Turkish yogurt dish thinned to a spoonable, soup-like consistency with cold water and loaded with crisp cucumber, fresh dill, and garlic. Serve it as a meze, a cold summer soup, or a side for grilled meats.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: —
Wait: 50 min
Total: 1 hr 5 min
Makes: About 4 cups (950 ml), serving 4 as a soup or 6–8 as a dip

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Ingredients

4 servings

12 oz (340 g) Persian or small seedless cucumbers, peeled if the skin is thick or bitter, then coarsely grated on a box grater (about 2 cups grated)
1 tsp (5 g) fine sea salt, divided: ½ tsp for the cucumber, ½ tsp for the yogurt, adjusting to taste
2 cups (490 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, cold, stirred smooth
1 cup (240 ml) ice-cold water, plus 1–2 tbsp more if needed to thin
2 medium (8 g) garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated into a paste
¼ cup (10 g) fresh dill, fronds only, finely chopped (about 3 tbsp chopped), plus a few small sprigs for garnish
2 tbsp (27 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided: 1 tbsp stirred in, 1 tbsp for drizzling
1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed, only if your yogurt is mild (optional)
½ tsp (0.5 g) dried mint, crushed between your fingers, for garnish (optional)

Equipment (5)

Box grater
Fine-mesh sieve
Medium mixing bowl (2-quart / 2 L)
Whisk
Microplane or fine grater for the garlic

Steps

Before you start

Use plain, full-fat or 2% yogurt with no sweetener or thickeners. Greek yogurt works too, but you will need a little more water.
Chill the yogurt, cucumbers, and water beforehand so the cacik is cold from the start.
Salting and draining the cucumber takes 20 minutes. Do not skip it, or the cacik will turn watery.
Allow at least 30 minutes of chilling so the garlic mellows and the flavors blend.

1
Grate the cucumber
- Trim the ends of the cucumbers.
- Peel them if the skin is thick or waxy; thin-skinned Persian cucumbers can stay unpeeled for color.
- Coarsely grate on the large holes of a box grater into a bowl until you have about 2 cups.
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Ready when: Cucumber is in short, coarse shreds, not a mush.
Tip: If you prefer a chunkier texture, dice into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces instead.
2
Salt and drain
- Toss the grated cucumber with ½ tsp of the salt.
- Transfer to a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and let it drain for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
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Ready when: About 2–3 tablespoons of liquid has collected in the bowl.
3
Squeeze it dry
- Gather the drained cucumber in your fist, or press it with the back of a spoon against the sieve, and squeeze firmly to remove as much liquid as possible.
- Discard the liquid.
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Ready when: The cucumber feels damp but no longer drips when squeezed.
Tip: Do not rinse the cucumber; it washes away flavor and you would need to squeeze it again.
4
Whisk the yogurt
- In a 2-quart (2 L) bowl, whisk the yogurt for about 30 seconds until completely smooth and loose.
- Whisk in the grated garlic and 1 tbsp of the olive oil.
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Ready when: No lumps remain and the yogurt looks glossy.
Tip: Grating garlic to a paste spreads the flavor evenly and avoids harsh raw chunks.
5
Thin with water
- Pour in the 1 cup (240 ml) ice-cold water in a slow stream while whisking, until the mixture is pourable like heavy cream.
- Add the remaining ½ tsp salt.
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Ready when: The mixture coats a spoon thinly and runs off in a ribbon.
Tip: Add water gradually. Greek yogurt may need 1–2 extra tablespoons. Make it thicker for a dip, thinner for a soup.
6
Fold in cucumber and dill
- Stir in the squeezed cucumber and the chopped dill.
- Taste, then add the lemon juice if you want more tang, and more salt if needed.
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Ready when: Tastes lightly salty, garlicky, and fresh, with the dill clearly noticeable.
Tip: Flavors mellow as it chills, so season slightly bolder than you think.
7
Chill to blend
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 4 hours, so the garlic softens and the flavors meld.
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Ready when: Very cold to the touch with a mellow garlic aroma.
8
Serve
- Stir well, since it may separate slightly, and loosen with 1–2 tbsp cold water if it has thickened.
- Ladle into chilled bowls.
- Drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, then top with dill sprigs and the dried mint, if using.
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Ready when: Creamy, pourable, and cold, with a green-flecked surface and golden oil on top.
Tip: Serve with warm flatbread, grilled meats, or kebabs.

Good to know

Tips

Squeeze the cucumber well. Leftover water is the most common cause of a thin, bland cacik.
Use a fine grater for the garlic and start with 2 cloves; raw garlic gets stronger as it sits.
Adjust the water to the use: ¾ cup (180 ml) for a thick dip, 1 cup (240 ml) for a spoonable soup, 1¼ cups (300 ml) for a drinkable style.
Serve very cold; a few ice cubes in the bowl are a traditional touch on hot days.

Make ahead

Make up to 1 day ahead through step 7 and keep covered in the fridge. Wait to add the olive oil drizzle and garnish until serving. The garlic grows stronger as it sits.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days; stir well and thin with a splash of cold water before serving. Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Not recommended for freezing, since the yogurt and cucumber separate when thawed. No reheating; serve cold.

Substitutions

plain whole-milk yogurt → Strained Greek yogurt. Use about 1½ cups (370 g) Greek yogurt and increase the water to 1¼ cups (300 ml) for a similar texture.
fresh dill → Fresh mint. Use 2 tbsp finely chopped mint for a different but also traditional flavor.
Persian or small seedless cucumbers → English (seedless) cucumber. Use 1 medium cucumber (about 12 oz / 340 g); peel it if the skin is thick.
lemon juice → White wine vinegar. Use ½ tsp in place of the lemon juice for tang.