Jajik (Cucumber Yogurt & Mint Salad)

This easy Jajik recipe is a refreshing cucumber yogurt salad made with mint, creamy yogurt, and simple ingredients – just like the version I grew up eating at home. Cool, tangy and incredibly quick to make, it’s the perfect side dish for rice, and grilled meats. If you need a fast, fresh salad that adds brighteness; this jajik salad is my go-to.

Jajik: My Weeknight Salad

As an Iraqi, I grew up having this salad (or my chopped Arabic salad) with almost every meal we served. My mom often made it with “dry” main dishes such as hashweh rice, maqluba, or iraqi style biryani. Instead of serving them with a sauce or stew, we’d dollop jajik to add brightness. It’s also wonderful to serve with grilled meat or even as a dipping sauce for my crispy zucchini fritters.

How to Make and Customize It

Jajik is really easy to customize based on your taste buds and also how you plan to use it. You can adjust the size of the cucumber by either finely dicing it or dicing it more to small sized chunks like in the photo below. You can even grate it if you want to turn this into a dip or sauce rather than a salad.

I love to add fresh garlic to mine but you can skip it if you’re not a garlic lover, or you can use garlic powder for a more subtle flavour. You can also make it more herby by adding in finely minced parsley, green onion, and dill. This version is my “base” recipe and I add things here and there depending on how I’m serving it.

Here’s how to make it:

• Start by washing and drying the cucumber, and using a teaspoon, spooning out the seeds from the middle. This step helps make sure the salad doesn’t end up being watery, especially if you’re leaving in the fridge for a while to chill.
• Finely dice the cucumber (or grate it if you like).
• Mix the yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic and mint. You can use dry or fresh mint and adjust the amount to your liking.
• Serve it chilled with a drizzle of olive oil and enjoy!