What should I eat with yogurt?

August 5, 2011 11:24 AM

Help me eat more yogurt! I only like certain foods with yogurt. What else might I like?

I don't like the taste of plain yogurt, but I do like yogurt in combination with certain other foods. I know yogurt is good for me, so I'd like to eat more of it. Suggestions?

I used to eat yogurt with raspberries with granola on top, but I stopped because the granola seemed awfully sugary (even when I made my own) and high carb and possibly hard on my teeth, too. I liked the raspberry yogurt flavor, but only if there was something else with it. I loved the granola and would love to find something with similar crunchiness or grain-based consistency to offset the yogurt.

I also like raita - plenty of onion and cucumber and cumin makes yogurt delicious to me.

I don't like yogurt substituting for sour cream (so I don't go for a dollop on an enchilada).

Best answers will probably (a) mask the natural flavor of plain yogurt and (b) provide some other texture.

What other yogurty combos - sweet or savory - might I like?

Thanks!

posted by kristi to food & drink (46 answers total)

By "plain" yogurt do you mean you want to actually find uses for unflavored yogurt, or do you mean alone, but maybe vanilla or other flavored yogurt? If the former, adding jam is an easy way to flavor plain yogurt, and I think it's good with grapenuts or other not-necessarily-sweet cereals.
posted by brainmouse at 11:27 AM on August 5, 2011

Here's my go-to recipe for malai kofta sauce; it has a cup and a half of yogurt, but you can easily add more to up the creaminess and protein content!
posted by Greg Nog at 11:28 AM on August 5, 2011

Many cereals go great with yoghurt! This will really vary depending on what flavours you enjoy, so experiment a bit. I enjoy almost any kind of fruit with it as well, especially mangos.
posted by fearnothing at 11:29 AM on August 5, 2011

Oh, and here's my usual recipe for tzatziki.
posted by Greg Nog at 11:30 AM on August 5, 2011 [2 favorites]

Honey & a graham cracker?

Also, Greek yogurt and Laban are great basic yogurt flavors that can open up a huge world of sweet and savory combinations. Try laban with ground lamb and onion, or just spread it on a half a pita with some cucumber.
posted by carsonb at 11:30 AM on August 5, 2011

I'm a big fan of yogurt as a sauce for roasted vegetables. I'll take unsweetened yogurt (greek if possible), whisk it up with chopped garlic, cumin, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a little olive oil and then spoon it over grilled or roasted veggies. Especially good with eggplant.
posted by soleiluna at 11:32 AM on August 5, 2011 [2 favorites]

As a baby, my parents fed me yogurt mixed with cottage cheese. I still like it.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 11:33 AM on August 5, 2011 [2 favorites]

I make my own muesli: oatmeal, ground up nuts, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, dried fruit or chopped apple, etc and mix yogurt with that.

Also, KFC dipped in yogurt is so bad it's good.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 11:35 AM on August 5, 2011

I get commercial vanilla or berry flavored yogurt to mix with cottage cheese; eat it with fruit and wheat germ sprinkled on top. mmmm.

For savory dishes, really spicy lentils with rice and smooth creamy greek yogurt.
posted by motsque at 11:37 AM on August 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

Drain your yogurt with cheesecloth until it's about the consistency of cream cheese (takes a few hours), then add whatever herbs, spices, or flavorings you like, and eat with crackers.
posted by Daily Alice at 11:47 AM on August 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

I also hate plain yogurt, but have found that I love plain Greek yogurt so you may want to try it instead.

It's good with dried cherries and two spoonfuls of wheat germ for texture. Sometimes I add chopped bananas and a teeny amount of agave syrup - it's delicious. I also find that Greek yogurt is a better replacement for sour cream than just plain yogurt, especially casseroles or Mexican dishes.
posted by jacindahb at 11:47 AM on August 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

Sorry I wasn't clearer -

By "plain" yogurt I mean I'd like to buy and eat unflavored, plain yogurt, but since I don't like the taste of that as is, I need to find things to mix it with. Raspberries are a start (for me), but then I need something else to add another flavor and texture dimension.

Also, I'm trying not to add things that are mostly sugar - so while I asked for sweet options, I was thinking of things that complemented the sweetness in fruit (like the raspberries), and I'm not really looking for things like honey or jam, which, while delicious, are pretty sugary.

(I'm pretty picky, apparently.)

Several of the savory answers so far have been GREAT, and I'd love to see more. For sweet, if you can think of things that would go with yogurt flavored with whole fruit, those would be terrific too.

Thanks!
posted by kristi at 11:49 AM on August 5, 2011

I like this tzatziki sauce recipe (although instead of straining the yogurt I just use Greek yogurt).

You could also add yogurt to a smoothie. If you're worried about carbs, you can keep a smoothie fairly low carb by using berries as the only fruit, and throw in a handful of spinach or kale and some flax seeds or something.
posted by katie at 11:51 AM on August 5, 2011

I mix blueberries, strawberries and granola with plain yogurt and I think it's pretty darn tasty.
posted by disaster77 at 11:53 AM on August 5, 2011

I like plain yogurt with raspberries, bananas, and chopped walnuts (raw or toasted). Also sliced almonds can be good (Trader Joe's has good bags of nuts).

We often have plain greek style yogurt with simple homemade Indian dishes, like channa masala, rajma, aloo gobi, or spinach and tomatoes.
posted by JenMarie at 11:54 AM on August 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

I don't know if this seems too weird to you, but I enjoy eating plain yogurt with raw oats, raisins, and some honey or maple syrup. Raisins are pretty sweet, so you could leave out the honey or maple syrup - I've done that and it's still pretty good. A lot of people don't even realize you can eat raw oats (of course they are not really raw, because oats are processed before you can even buy them to avoid spoilage), but they're tasty and have a great texture.
posted by Cygnet at 11:59 AM on August 5, 2011

I get my daily yogurt from the Bowl of Awesome: spoonful of plain greek yogurt, handful of walnuts & almonds, handful of fruit in season (or frozen blueberries nomnomnom) or dried cranberries, and a few spoonfuls of Ezekiel hippie cereal. It doesn't work without the cereal, the texture* makes the meal. 26g protein woohoo!

*Which you can control by how long you leave it all mixed up before you eat it.
posted by headnsouth at 12:13 PM on August 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

If you're not averse to baking with your yogurt (it kills the active cultures) I make the muffins from The Best Recipe, (Cook's Illustrated people).
posted by bilabial at 12:14 PM on August 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

Colcannon is delicious when made with lowfat yogurt instead of milk or cream. I actually prefer it with the slightly sour "bite"/counterbalance that the yogurt adds.

I basically saute some onions, add chopped cabbage or kale, and cook til soft. Then I mash up some boiled potatoes with some yogurt, combine the two mixtures, and season with salt and pepper.
posted by needs more cowbell at 12:18 PM on August 5, 2011 [3 favorites]

Yoghurt on pancakes.
posted by RobotHero at 12:18 PM on August 5, 2011

Smoothie: ~3-4 oz plain greek yogurt, 8-10 oz unsweetened almond milk (or other milk), 1/2 frozen banana, frozen fruit of your choice, or get brave and put a handful of greens in there (spinach, kale, the banana/fruit flavor will mostly cover it up), also chia seeds or flax for some omega 3's.

Also delicious: overnight oats.
posted by sararah at 12:20 PM on August 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

*Pumpkin overnight oats are my favorite, and pumpkin is also really good for you! Spice it up with a lot of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice and a pinch of salt otherwise it will be a bit bland.
posted by sararah at 12:22 PM on August 5, 2011

You can take Greek yogurt (especially Fage brand) and do sort of a labneh thing with it: drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil and crack a little pepper on it. Eat with a pita or flatbread, or not. Nice savory way to get some yogurt in.
posted by threeants at 12:22 PM on August 5, 2011

You could also go in the other direction and make it more liquid so it counts as a drink. I like to have Ayran with my meals when it's hot, it goes especially well with spicy/salty barbecued meat dishes. 2 parts yoghurt, 1 part ice-cold water, salt to taste - delicious.
posted by The Toad at 1:05 PM on August 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

Steam some spinach and chop it into bite-sized bits. Season it with some garlic, salt and pepper. Separately, slice an onion and fry it with a touch of turmeric. Mix the spinach with enough yogurt to coat well. Taste and salt and pepper to your liking. Drop the onions on top -- they look nice, no?

YUM!
posted by driley at 1:40 PM on August 5, 2011

For a sweet flavor, add a little bit of vanilla extract and some cinnamon +/or nutmeg. If this isn't quite sweet enough for you, a very small amount of honey or maple syrup would yum it up.

Yogurt and fresh fruit on a frozen waffle is delightful.

For savory flavor, mix in a bit of whatever prepared salad dressing you like, or experiment with prepared spice mixes (the Turkish seasoning blend from Penzey's is mmmmm).

Plain yogurt mixed 50/50 with peanut butter makes a nice spread.

Plain yogurt tastes great on a baked potato.

Things to add crunch: sliced almonds, crumbled walnuts or pecans, sunflower seeds, crumbled shredded wheat or Triscuit-type crackers.
posted by Corvid at 1:41 PM on August 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

I like the crunch of grape nuts in fruit yogurt.
posted by annsunny at 1:46 PM on August 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

I find chopped plums mixed into plain yoghurt and left for a few hours gives the yoghurt a lovely delicate honeyish flavour.

Plain yoghurt mixed 50:50 with mayonnaise gives a lighter texture and more interesting flavour (also a bit healthier). I also love it mixed into various differenct curries.
posted by *becca* at 2:21 PM on August 5, 2011 [2 favorites]

Just a thought: are you eating the right kind of yogurt? I thought I hated yogurt my whole life--and then I had Fage. I still find almost everything else unpalatable.
posted by phunniemee at 2:57 PM on August 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

I think it tastes great as a dressing for cucumber salad. Add some dill, lemon and salt.
posted by joz1 at 3:29 PM on August 5, 2011

I forgot to add - a Turkish friend of mine adds pistachios and honey, but you could just add the pistachios. Especially good with Fage type yogurts.
posted by joz1 at 3:31 PM on August 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

Salted lassi would be perfect. It's a savory yogurt drink that's surprisingly refreshing, especially in the summer. Dirt cheap to make, too: it's just yogurt, salt, cumin, and ice. It's especially good paired with a spicy meal.
posted by vorfeed at 4:01 PM on August 5, 2011 [2 favorites]

Nthing that Fage yogurt (and other Greek yogurts) are on a whole other level than a lot of yogurts. The full fat is a favorite of my husband's, but I like the 2% just as well. I know you say that you don't want to mix in honey, but I really think most people add in too much honey when they add it to yogurt. You really want to add a small amount. Try starting with a quarter teaspoon at a time of of some kind of lighter honey or fruit honey, mix really really thoroughly, taste, and add a tiny bit more till you get the flavor you want. It should just be a very very faint hint of honey flavor. I also add some plain chopped oat bran to a lot of my yogurts, for some added texture.
posted by gudrun at 4:18 PM on August 5, 2011

You could use it --in pancakes, mac'n'cheese, baked tuna&mushroom casserole, and many other savory things --instead of milk.
posted by MidSouthern Mouth at 4:46 PM on August 5, 2011

My go-to yogurt combo of the moment is sunflower seeds, chia seeds, a handful of fresh berries (esp. blueberries) and a tiny dash of the sweetener of your choice. Super-tasty and healthy, too.
posted by bettafish at 5:03 PM on August 5, 2011

Yogurt goes very well with mujadara - which is a simple dish of rice, lentils, and caramelized onions.

Yogurt + unsweetened cereal + preserves or maple syrup or honey is a good breakfast or snack; plain puffed grains work well for this.

And I have to second the smoothie recommendation. My general formula is frozen bananas, fresh or frozen fruit of some kind, sometimes some juice, yogurt always, and a bit of honey if needed to balance out the tartness.
posted by parudox at 5:19 PM on August 5, 2011

I can't believe I am posting this, as it might sound very strange, but I love plain yogurt with a little bit of olive oil, cayenne pepper, bacon bits (I use soy) and coarse grain salt.
posted by Vaike at 5:20 PM on August 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

Might you like drinking it? Kefir is pretty tasty, as is lassi, and they don't have to be sweet.
posted by Margalo Epps at 5:52 PM on August 5, 2011 [1 favorite]

I often mix a cup of plain yogurt with a spoonful of peanut butter and some stevia, then eat alone or with sliced apples.

Another usual way for me is with dried cherries (or fresh fruit, like raspberries) and one or two crushed walnuts.
posted by cmgonzalez at 9:07 PM on August 5, 2011

You could also try mixing in different fresh herbs to add flavor - for sweet versions try different mints, or maybe lavender. For savory versions, you could use parsley, dill, cilantro, or maybe sage.
posted by anotherkate at 11:44 PM on August 5, 2011

You can use yoghurt as a cream replacement in a lot of indian curries...
posted by misscait at 5:55 AM on August 6, 2011

Charred Eggplant Dip is yummers.
posted by ifjuly at 3:24 PM on August 6, 2011

Thanks for all the great ideas!

soleiluna, perfect timing - I have a bunch of grilled vegetables in the fridge (including eggplant). I can't wait to try this!

headnsouth, that's a perfect solution to my "too much sugar in the granola" problem. I hadn't imagined there were cereals with no sugar. Thanks!

cygnet, the raw oats are a great idea. I take it you're using rolled oats, not steel-cut?

And sararah, the overnight oats idea looks really great.

These are all terrific. Thank you all so much!

If anyone has any more thoughts, please chime in!
posted by kristi at 3:27 PM on August 6, 2011

Kristi - yep, rolled oats!
posted by Cygnet at 7:46 AM on August 7, 2011

I've been eating this for breakfast for the last week or so and it's great:

1 cup multigrain oats
1/2 cup apple juice

Stir til oats are evenly wet, cover, sit in the fridge over night. The next day, stir through 150g / 5 oz of yoghurt til evenly combined and creamy.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 5:10 PM on August 7, 2011

I like to mix yogurt with guacamole to stretch it. It gives it a nice complimentary tanginess.

I also use yogurt instead of milk/butter when I make Kraft Dinner.

I mix it into mashed potatoes instead of milk/butter as well.

Salad dressings with plain yogurt are great. I especially like mixing it with mustard and using it on baby spinach salad, in chickpea salad, or in potato salad (with dill).
posted by flex at 6:26 PM on August 7, 2011 [1 favorite]