I’ve dressed up these cucumber sandwiches with tzatziki, a classic Southeast European dip made with Greek yogurt, dill, and extra virgin olive oil. The combination of crunchy cucumber and cooling yogurt spread make these tea sandwiches the perfect light and refreshing midafternoon snack!

Cucumber tea sandwiches

When it comes to sandwiches, do you prefer them with the crust or without?

Typically, I don’t have much of a preference on the matter.

That is unless I’m making tea sandwiches. In the case of something like a cucumber dill sandwich, the crust MUST come off! And that’s because they are so delicate when served sans the crust and cut into smaller pieces.

The texture is light, airy and all around easier to eat.

One of my favorite flavor and texture combinations can be found in these easy cucumber sandwiches with tzatziki sauce. There’s just nothing better than fresh and crunchy cucumber slices paired with a creamy, tangy spread.

So yummy!

What are Tea Sandwiches?

Tea sandwiches (AKA: finger sandwiches) are small, dainty sandwiches, usually comprised of a creamy element and a crisp vegetable element served between two slices of soft bread.

And while fillings like chicken salad or sliced ham are less common, a tea sandwich can be made using the same filling as a traditional sandwich as long as they are kept simple and lean.

You see, the idea behind finger sandwiches is that they are small nibbles that you can easily eat in just a few bites – which are traditionally served in the afternoon to tide you over until dinnertime.

Well, this combination of English cucumbers and dill studded tzatziki is one of my favorite tea sandwiches of all time!

Ever find yourself wondering what to do with cucumbers? You could make pickles or a creamy cucumber tomato salad… Or you could make sandwiches 🙂

What is Tzatziki?

Tzatziki can be either a dip, a spread or a soup.

Made primarily of yogurt, tzatziki is a staple in many Middle Eastern, Balkan and Southern European cuisines – and, depending on who is making it, can contain added ingredients like dill, cucumbers, garlic, olive oil, etc.

The inclusion of a simple tzatziki spread is such an obvious pairing for these cucumber sandwiches. We’ll just be using sliced cucumber as a sandwich filler instead of diced cucumber in our dill studded tzatziki. Delish!

Ingredients for Cucumber Sandwiches with Tzatziki sauce

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Small container (5.3oz) Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 English cucumber, sliced into 1/8-inch thick pieces
8 slices multigrain or white bread

Now, you can use low fat yogurt on these delicious cucumber sandwiches if you’d like. It’s a solid choice. However, for an added dose of creaminess – and a more indulgent mouthfeel – I recommend trying full fat Greek yogurt in your cucumber tea sandwiches. You won’t be sorry!

As for bread, I recommend going with a traditional sliced loaf of white bread or soft multigrain bread. These finger sandwiches are best when soft and airy. Unfortunately, something like a baguette won’t work as it has too much area devoted to the crust. And we’ll be trimming that off!

However, I’d say the most important element in this cucumber sandwich is its namesake ingredient: the cucumber.

What are the best cucumbers to use for tea sandwiches?

When it comes to making these cucumber sandwiches with tzatziki sauce – or really any finger sandwich that you plan to use cucumbers on – I find that there’s one superior choice of cucumber.

And that’s the English cucumber.

English cucumbers are long and thin with tiny seeds and a dark green skin. And since that outer skin is paper thin, you’ll typically see English cucumbers shrink wrapped for protection at the grocery store.

But it’s precisely that thin skin, along with the fresh, crisp crunch and mild, clean flavor that make these delicate cucumbers the absolute best choice for these delightful cucumber finger sandwiches.

Incidentally, English cucumbers are my cucumber of choice when making this refreshing cucumber water – and this spicy Korean cucumber salad.

They’re so versatile!

How to make cucumber sandwiches

Place olive oil, yogurt, dill, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix well.
Spread 1 tablespoon of the dill + yogurt mixture on each slice of bread.
Top 4 of the bread slices with a layer of cucumber slices, then place the remaining bread slices on top, dressing side down.
Gently trim the crust from your sandwiches – then slice each sandwich into three rectangular pieces.

Yep – just as it sounds, it’s a super easy preparation. We are making sandwiches after all, ha!

However, if I can offer one piece of solid advice it could be in the crust cutting department.

Make sure your chef’s knife is sharp when trimming the crusts off your cucumber sandwiches.

If your knife is dull, you might do a bit of damage to the bread – and to the overall dainty appearance of the cucumber sandwiches in the process.

A sharp knife and a light touch will yield sure cuts both to the crusts – and when you’re sectioning the sandwiches into triangular thirds.

What to serve with Cucumber Sandwiches

Ideally, these cucumber and tzatziki finger sandwiches would pair with lighter, snack-type fare. Salads and chips are obvious winners. And you can never go wrong with the classic combination of soup and sandwich!

Here are a few of my recommendations:

Did you like this Cucumber Sandwiches With Tzatziki Sauce Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!