Greek 3-Layered Dip

I found this gem of an appetizer at a women’s function at my church recently. When there is a potluck going on and you see a small huddle of women gushing and pointing at one particular dish, you know it’s gotta be good! Well, I wasn’t surprised to find that I was right. It was this savory and rich dip that we all could not get enough of. Literally, there were only little bits of scrapings left by the time I got over to the dish. I had to make it for myself to satisfy my taste buds’ craving for the flavor.

In short, it starts with a layer of hummus

then a layer of tzatziki sauce

and lastly, this Greek salad to top it off with even more flavor and color. I made this salad and let it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes and then strained off the liquid that comes out of the tomato and cucumbers.

The completed dip is just Greek heaven to my taste buds! The hummus is creamy rich and the tzatziki sauce with Greek yogurt, cucumbers and dill give a great cooling tang to your tongue. However, it’s the salad on top that makes the whole dip. It has grape tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives and fresh parsley. Altogether, it just makes for a fresh and healthy snack.

I served the dip with store-bought pita chips and also soft pita bread cut into triangles. I brought this dish to a Christmas party this week and the red and green colors added to the festive colors of the holidays. It was a hit!

Hummus
Here is my link to my basic hummus recipe: https://kareninthekitchen.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/hummus-three-ways/

Tzatziki Sauce
From Brown Eyed Baker

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeds removed and cut into large chunks
1½ teaspoons kosher salt (for draining cucumber)
1½ cups plain Greek yogurt
1 small clove garlic, grated
4½ teaspoons lemon juice
1½ teaspoons chopped fresh dill

Place the cucumber in a colander in the sink and sprinkle with the kosher salt. Let sit and drain for 30 minutes. Dry thoroughly with paper towels, then chop very finely. Combine the finely chopped cucumber with the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and dill.

Tomato Cucumber Salad

10.5 oz pkg grape tomatoes, cut into quarters

1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded, chopped

1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

Toss all ingredients into a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Pour the salad into a colander and drain out the liquid and serve.