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Creamy Greek Yogurt Lemon Caper Dip

ByElena Paravantes, MS, RD
Greek Lemon Caper Dip

I’ve finally made this amazing caper dip with the capers I bought from Tinos island and I’m sharing it today. Over the summer we visited Tinos and in Greece it is mostly known as a religious destination-Greeks go to the island to visit Our Lady of Tinos, a shrine of pilgrimage-. In the church there is an icon that is believed to be a source of miracles.

Tinos island

A View of Tinos Town

However, Tinos has a number of beautiful villages, beaches and an important gastronomic culture. One of the products Tinos is known for is the capers. I love capers, so when I got off the boat, I went to the farmers market right on the port and bought a big jar, it only lasted for our stay we ended up buying some more from the islands farmers Co-Op store. If you love capers (and beautiful beaches and villages) than this is the island for you! They make their appearance everywhere: in salads, on meats, even as appetizers. They even have a festival dedicated to capers, which were lucky to attend and eat dishes made by the locals with capers.

Greek salad with capers

Tinos Salad with Capers

Caper Benefits

Just a few capers add a burst of flavor to almost anything. Some of my favorite places to add them is of course on salads, on rusks or bread- I’ll mash some feta, drizzle a bit of olive oil and sprinkle some capers, on pasta, and we sometimes eat them plain as an appetizer. But apart from their culinary versatility – they are rich in certain antioxidants and other protective substances. Capers contain the flavonoids kaempferol and quercetin and hydrocinnamic acids (a substance found in plants) with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. And they have very few calories. It is important to note that as they are pickled, they do have a bit of salt. You can rinse them prior to using them and also avoid adding any additional salt when using them in recipes.

Tinos Caper Festival

Tinos Caper Festival

In Tinos there is a very popular caper dip known as Kaparosalata it is made with bread and potato, but while we were eating at a tavern on the island we were offered a different caper salad; this was made with Greek yogurt. This dip looks like tzatziki but it does not contain garlic, making it much lighter. We ordered it often along with a large Greek salad for lunch, it was soooo good. I recreated it here, and it is very easy to make. You can serve as is with rusks, breadsticks, bread or crackers but it also works as a sauce for chicken or salmon.

Tinos Capers

Tinos Capers from the Farmers Co-Op

Jump to Recipe

Creamy Greek Lemon Caper Dip

Greek Lemon Caper Dip
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Course: Appetizer, dip
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean, Vegetarian
Servings: 1 cup dip
Author: Elena Paravantes, MS, RD
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a bowl mix the yogurt, capers, pepper, walnuts and lemon juice.
  • Add the olive oil and blend. Add the dill and mix.
  • Cover and let it sit for at least an hour.
  • When ready to serve the dip, sprinkle with some capers and drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil.

Notes

Do not add any salt as the capers already have salt in them.

Photos by Elena Paravantes © All Rights Reserved

Elena Paravantes, MS, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist by the U.S. Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). She is an expert on the Mediterranean Diet. She has been active as a clinician, consultant, author and lecturer for 20 years, both in the U.S. and Greece. An expert on the Greek Mediterranean Diet, her interviews and articles have been published in many publications including CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Prevention, NPR, and Shape. Elena has collaborated with a number of organizations including Loyola University, Yale University, University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, and the American College of Greece. Elena earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and her Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She holds has a Master’s Degree of Science in Health Management.

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20 Comments

  1. I wanted to use this as a salad dressing so I omitted the extra virgin olive oil and thinned it out with a bit of water. For a bit of crunch, I sauteed the walnuts in a pan with a bit of brown sugar and chilli flakes and added them directly to the salad with some crispy chicken. It was wonderful and a great way to change up a boring lettuce salad. Will definitely make again and try it as a dip too 🙂5 stars

    Reply

  2. I was just looking for a good veggie dip, thanks for sharing! But I have to ask, what is the salad with the beans and capers, shown above the dip recipe? That looks wonderful!

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  4. This yogurt dip is an excellent part of any meze or appetizer spread! The flavors blend perfectly together, especially since lemon and caper are natural complements.

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  5. I just love your recipes. During the Orthodox fasts, I cook mainly from the recipes here and also Middle-Eastern cookbooks. Your Cretan pizza gets rave reviews and Ive passed your website onto the choir gals from our monastery. Thank you for this new recipe . Sounds delicious!!! Ive also given up veganism during non-fasting days so I can eat some delicious and healthy Greek yogurt, feta , eggs and fish. Im feeling great. Thank you for your expertise and love of all thats Greek.

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  6. I love Tinos and can’t wait to try this dip. I first had capers with Greek salad on Andros island which also has a lovely soft cheese which I had in place of feta there.

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    2. This looks wonderful, I’m going to make it today to take to a friend’s house that’s invited us for drinks. Where you say add olive oil and blend, do you mean in a blender? Is it supposed to be chunky or smooth?
      Thanks.5 stars