For a recent dinner party I made a delicious borscht (beet soup) … that required a dollop of yogurt or sour cream on top, and since I was entertaining some real connoisseurs, I was shopping for something special at the food co-op. That’s when I discovered Greek strained yogurt. What a great choice. It has the low calorie content of yogurt, but the richness of sour cream.

In general I’m not a big yogurt fan, and I don’t think I’d care for this yogurt solo … but for cooking it is superb. Because it is strained it can withstand high heat without separating.

For my next venture I swirled it in with a fairly plain vegetable soup made with tomato juice as the stock. It transformed the soup into a creamy delight. Using the 2% variety, one cup is only 150 calories, but just 2 tablespoons in a bowl of soup make it fit for a queen.

Here is a recipe from EatingWell magazine for some wildly delicious Blue Cheese Dressing made with the strained yogurt.
Makes 1/2 cup
2 ounces blue cheese
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon honey
1-2 tablespoons nonfat Greek-style yogurt
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Mash blue cheese, oil, vinegar, tarragon and honey together in a medium bowl with a fork until well combined. For a creamier dressing, add yogurt 1 tablespoon at a time, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per 2-tablespoon serving: 161 calories; 15 g fat (4 g sat, 9 g mono); 11 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 0 g fiber; 271 mg sodium; 46 mg potassium.
0 Carbohydrate Servings; Exchanges: 3 fat
P.S. I know that there are those of you who would never spend 161 calories on salad dressing. However there is a time and a place for everything. My salad rule, in order to not become bored with salads, is to allow myself one “treat” on my greens. Examples: Dressing, nuts, cheese, avocado. But one at a time, please.

2 ounces blue cheese
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon honey
1-2 tablespoons nonfat Greek-style yogurt
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Mash blue cheese, oil, vinegar, tarragon and honey together in a medium bowl with a fork until well combined. For a creamier dressing, add yogurt 1 tablespoon at a time, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per 2-tablespoon serving: 161 calories; 15 g fat (4 g sat, 9 g mono); 11 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 0 g fiber; 271 mg sodium; 46 mg potassium.
0 Carbohydrate Servings; Exchanges: 3 fat

know that there are those of you who would never spend 161 calories on salad dressing. However there is a time and a place for everything. My salad rule, in order to not become bored with salads, is to allow myself one “treat” on my greens. Examples: Dressing, nuts, cheese, avocado. But one at a time, please.

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