Preserved Lemon Harissa Yogurt

This Preserved Lemon Harissa Yogurt is the perfect, easy to make condiment to jazz up any dish in a pinch.

This Preserved Lemon Harissa Yogurt is an excellent mixture of creamy, sweet, fresh, bitter, and tangy. It’s a great topping for any Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, African or Indian dish. Chicken, steak, fish, lamb, or even roasted veggies like cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and carrots would be great pairings with this sauce. The options are endless! The world is your oyster!

But if you want a specific dish to eat with this sauce, try my Nut Crusted Chicken Schnitzel. It’s *chef’s kiss* perfection.

So, what are preserved lemons anyway?

Preserved lemons are lemons that are fermented for weeks in a salt, lemon juice. and water mixture. Some people add aromatics, such as peppercorns and cinnamon sticks. Preserved lemons shouldn’t be eaten alone, but instead are added to dishes for additional seasoning, giving them an umami, salty, acidic punch.

Raw lemon peels are extremely bitter, while preserved lemon peels are more mellow and edible. Preserving them gives dishes an added complexity that fresh lemons cannot.

Most recipes will call for discarding the interior flesh and only using the peel, since the flesh is extremely salty and acidic. That’s what I do here in the Preserved Lemon Harissa Yogurt. Just quarter the lemons, cut out, and discard the flesh.

Ingredient Notes:

• Greek Yogurt – I use full-fat yogurt. I like how thick it is. Plus, I’m doing keto right now and I need the healthy fats!
• Mayonnaise – I used avocado oil mayo here, but feel free to use any mayonnaise you’d like. I tried the sauce without the mayo first and decided to add it because I think that it helps to round out the flavor of the sauce.
• Garlic Powder – Feel free to use one glove to fresh grated garlic here instead, if you’d like.
• Harissa Powder – Feel free to use harissa paste here instead, if that’s what you have. Use 1 teaspoon paste for the 1/4 teaspoon of harissa powder.
• Dill – I love the dill here, but you can also use parsley or chives.
• Preserved Lemon Rind – You should be able to find a jar of these at Whole Foods, and can definitely find them online, here. As a substitute, you can add zest from one lemon instead.
• Honey – Agave works well here, too!
• White Wine Vinegar – You can substitute the same amount of lemon juice or red wine vinegar here if you do not have white wine vinegar.

Preserved Lemon Harissa Yogurt

This Preserved Lemon Harissa Yogurt is the perfect, easy to make condiment to jazz up any dish in a pinch.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings 1 cup

Equipment

• 1 Medium Bowl

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ½ cup Greek Yogurt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon harissa powder
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 2 teaspoons minced preserved lemon rind
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

 

• In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Taste and season with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Notes

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

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