A garlic dip from the Thermomix® needs no marathon blending session. We chop the 3 garlic cloves for 5 seconds at speed 7, the deseeded cucumber for 7 seconds at speed 5, then add 250 g Greek yoghurt, 30 g olive oil, salt, and sugar and mix for 10 seconds in reverse direction at speed 3. Done in 5 minutes, 4 servings, with nothing turning foamy or bitter.
The dip goes well with grilled vegetables, grilled meat, or as a spread on bread. We deliberately stick to a pure yoghurt base rather than crème fraîche or mayonnaise. That keeps it lighter, fresher, and at around 120 calories per serving considerably lower in calories than a typical aioli. Our Tzatziki in the Thermomix® makes a great second dip option alongside it.
Quick Garlic Dip, Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 8 ✓
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 cucumber
- 1 spring onion
- 250 g Greek yoghurt (10% fat)
- 30 g olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions 0 / 5
-
1
Peel the garlic and prepare the cucumber.
Peel the garlic, wash the cucumber, deseed it, and cut into pieces. Wash the spring onion and slice into rings.
-
2
Chop the garlic.
Add the garlic to the mixing bowl and chop for 5 sec / speed 7.
-
3
Chop the cucumber.
Add the cucumber and chop for 7 sec / speed 5, then scrape down with the spatula.
-
4
Mix the garlic dip.
Add the yoghurt, oil, salt, sugar, and spring onions and mix for 10 sec / reverse direction / speed 3.
-
5
Serve.
Serve the dip garnished with pepper.
Tip: You can serve this dip alongside grilled food, vegetable sticks, or baguette.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Speed 7 for garlic, speed 5 for cucumber: why the speeds differ
Garlic at speed 7 is cut into even pieces without turning mushy. Five seconds is enough to chop it finely without blending it to a paste. If we ran it longer, the garlic would release more allicin and turn bitter. That is exactly where our recipe stops earlier than many others: some Thermomix® recipes chop garlic at only speed 5 but leave it too coarse. Speed 7 for exactly 5 seconds hits the balance between fine and bitter.
The cucumber needs speed 5 rather than speed 7 because it is softer. At speed 7 it would turn to mush. At speed 5 it keeps some texture. Seven seconds is the threshold at which the cucumber breaks into small pieces without becoming cucumber water. Dicing by hand takes several minutes and is never as even. That is the specific point where the Thermomix® saves real time here.
Reverse direction for the yoghurt prevents foam and bitter olive oil
The yoghurt, olive oil, salt, sugar, and spring onions go into the mixing bowl with reverse direction at speed 3. Reverse direction guides the ingredients around the blades rather than beating them. This has two effects: the yoghurt is not whipped into foam and does not lose its consistency. And the olive oil is not beaten with air at high speed, which would make it bitter. Anyone who has made a dip with a hand blender at too high a speed will know that bitter aftertaste.
Ten seconds is enough to combine everything. Longer is not necessary, because the garlic and cucumber are already chopped and the yoghurt just needs distributing. This applies identically across all models: TM31, TM5, TM6, and TM7 make no difference here, because neither heat nor high speed is involved.
The three common pitfalls with garlic dip
The dip turns watery after a few hours
The cucumber seeds release more water than the flesh. Leave them in and the dip will be sitting in liquid after two or three hours. Our fix: Halve the cucumber lengthways and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon before it goes into the mixing bowl. The flesh alone stays firm and releases very little liquid.
The garlic tastes bitter
Bitter garlic comes from blending too long and from old, sprouting cloves. Our fix: Stick to the stated time (5 seconds, speed 7) and use fresh, firm bulbs. If a clove already has a green shoot inside, remove it first, as that is the main source of bitterness.
The spring onion disappears into the dip
If you add the spring onion together with the garlic, it gets chopped too finely. It disappears into the dip instead of adding a note of its own. Our fix: Slice the spring onion into rings and add it only with the yoghurt during the reverse direction step. That way it stays visible and delivers a mild onion bite.
10 per cent fat yoghurt gives the right consistency
We use Greek yoghurt with 10 per cent fat because it has the right density. At 3.5 per cent fat the dip becomes too runny, and above 10 per cent it becomes too heavy. The 30 g of olive oil adds to the fat content and makes the dip smoother without it feeling oily. If you prefer it thicker, replace 50 g of the yoghurt with soured cream or skyr.
The half teaspoon of sugar neutralises the acidity of the yoghurt and the sharpness of the garlic. Without sugar the dip tastes too sharp, with more it becomes too sweet. This balance keeps the garlic in the foreground rather than burying it under acidity.
Four variations for different occasions
Herb garlic dip: Add a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley or dill together with the yoghurt (3 seconds, speed 4, during the reverse direction step). Gives a green colour and a fresher flavour. Works well with fish.
Spicy variation: Add half a deseeded chilli along with the garlic, or stir 1 tsp of sambal oelek into the finished dip. For smoky heat, use 1/2 tsp smoked paprika instead.
Vegan variation: Replace the Greek yoghurt with unsweetened soya yoghurt or coconut yoghurt. The consistency stays similar and the flavour becomes slightly nuttier. Olive oil and seasoning stay the same.
Aioli style: If you want something closer to a classic garlic sauce, replace 100 g of the yoghurt with mayonnaise. The dip becomes creamier and richer, but also considerably higher in calories. Our pure yoghurt base remains the lighter choice.
What the garlic dip goes best with
We serve this dip most often with grilled meat, vegetable sticks made from pepper and carrot, or as a bread spread. It also works as a dip with baked potatoes and falafel. If you are after a richer garlic note on meat, our Garlic Sauce, Thermomix® is the one to try. For a Greek-style dip with cucumber and garlic, the Tzatziki, Thermomix® mentioned above is the natural companion. A BBQ sauce from the Thermomix® rounds out the dip selection as a sweeter alternative for a barbecue evening.
How long the garlic dip keeps in the fridge
The dip can be served straight away, but it tastes better after resting in the fridge for 30 minutes. During that time the garlic, cucumber, and yoghurt come together and the garlic mellows. After around 2 hours the flavour is at its most developed.
Stored in a sealed container, the dip keeps for 3 days in the fridge. Any longer and the fresh garlic starts to develop a stale aftertaste. The cucumber gradually releases water, so give it a stir before serving. Freezing does not work: the yoghurt separates on thawing and becomes grainy.
Goes well with: Flatbread and falafel.
More quick dips and sauces from the Thermomix®: try our Tzatziki, our Garlic Sauce, and our BBQ Sauce.
