Simple Yoghurt Sauce

This simple yoghurt sauce is cool, creamy, and made with Greek yoghurt, lemon, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper. It is perfect alongside lamb kofta, kofta-spiced lamb mince, grilled meats, salad, or warm bread.

A good yoghurt sauce earns its place on a shared table the way few things do, cooling the warm spice of kofta and softening the char on grilled lamb. This one is Greek yoghurt loosened with lemon, sharpened with a little grated garlic, and freshened with parsley or mint. It comes together in the time it takes the kofta to rest. Keep a bowl of it on the table through summer and you will reach for it with almost everything.

Serves: 5 · Cuisine: Mediterranean · Category: Condiment

Ingredients

Simple Yoghurt Sauce

• ¾ cup Greek yoghurt or lactose-free Greek yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or crushed
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley or mint
• Pinch of salt
• Black pepper, to taste
• Small drizzle of olive oil, optional, to serve

Method

1. Place the yoghurt in a small bowl.
2. Add the lemon juice, garlic, parsley or mint, salt, and pepper.
3. Stir until smooth and combined.
4. Taste and adjust with a little extra lemon juice or salt if needed.
5. Spoon into a small serving bowl. Add a tiny drizzle of olive oil and a little extra parsley if desired.

Variations

For a garlic-forward sauce, use a full clove and let it sit for ten minutes before serving so the flavour blooms. Stir in half a teaspoon of ground cumin for a warmer, earthier note alongside kofta. For something closer to a tzatziki, fold through a few tablespoons of finely grated, squeezed cucumber.

Serving Suggestion

Serve with Lamb Kofta and Kofta-Spiced Lamb Mince with Peas, or alongside a Greek Style Salad with Feta, Olives & Garlic and warm Turkish bread. It is just as good with roasted vegetables or any grilled meat.

Storage Notes

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Stir before serving.

Notes

Use thick Greek yoghurt for the best texture. A thinner yoghurt will give a looser, more pourable sauce.

For a softer garlic flavour, use half a clove. For a stronger one, use a full clove and let it sit a few minutes before serving.

Parsley keeps the sauce simple and table-friendly, while mint gives it a fresher, brighter flavour.

Serve it chilled or cool, straight from the fridge.

The Grace Table Tip

Make this an hour ahead and keep it in the fridge until serving. The short rest lets the garlic and lemon settle into the yoghurt, so the sauce tastes rounder and more like one thing than the sum of its parts.