There are few travel memories that are more vivid in my mind than my first spoonful of tarator. Served on a food tour of Sofia on a hot July day, it was cold, refreshing and the perfect dish to enjoy in the Bulgarian summer heat.
This cold cucumber and yoghurt soup quickly became a favourite of mine and it’s something that I’ve been sure to eat plenty of across several trips to this Balkan nation. And, of course, I love it so much that I’ve had to recreate it at home!
Tarator is super simple to make and uses only a handful of easy-to-find ingredients – and it’s the perfect dish for summer!
How to Make Bulgarian Tarator Soup
At its core, tarator is basically a tzatziki sauce in soup form. It’s packed with cucumbers, lots of garlic, plenty of dill and topped with a drizzle of olive oil. It’s also often topped with some chopped walnuts, which I like to toast for a bit of extra flavour.
It’s also super simple to make and requires no special equipment.
First step is to finely chop your cucumbers – I like using Persian cucumbers (called Lebanese cucumbers here in Australia) as I think they tend to have a nicer flavour and texture when compared to English/continental cucumbers. This is what I use in my Balkan shopska salad, as well!
Add the cucumbers to a large mixing bowl and stir in some finely chopped dill and a few cloves of minced (or grated – my preference!) garlic. Season generously with salt and pepper and then stir to combine.
Then, stir in some plain yoghurt and thin out the tarator to a soup-like consistency with a bit of ice water.
Taste again to adjust for seasoning and then refrigerate the soup for at least an hour. This allows it to chill thoroughly and also will let the flavours meld and mellow a bit.
Before you’re ready to serve, go ahead and toast a few walnuts. Add some walnuts to a rimmed baking tray and then put them in a 180°C/350°F oven.
Toast them until they’re golden and fragrant – about 8 minutes or so.
Take the soup from the fridge and see if you need to adjust the consistency of the soup, adding a splash more water here and there until you’re happy with how thick it is. Taste to adjust for seasoning once more and then ladle it into some serving bowls.
Top the tarator with a drizzle of good olive oil and your toasted walnuts – and then dig in and enjoy! This soup goes great as an appetizer for fish – like my red snapper, for instance.
Bulgarian Tarator Soup
Ingredients
- 4 Persian cucumbers finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic grated or finely minced
- 10 g (¼ cup) dill finely chopped
- 400 g (1 ½ cups) plain yoghurt
- 500 ml (2 cups) ice water
- 50 g (⅓ cup) walnuts roughly chopped
- 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add the cucumbers to a large mixing bowl and season generously with salt. Add the garlic and dill and stir to combine.
- Add the yoghurt and 400ml (1⅔ cups) water and stir until thoroughly combined. Taste to adjust for seasoning, adding more salt and freshly ground pepper if needed. Transfer to the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Add the walnuts to a large baking tray and toast for 6-8 minutes, or until golden and very fragrant. Set aside.
- After the soup has chilled, add more water – a few tablespoons at a time – if needed to achieve the desired consistency. Taste to adjust for seasoning, adding more salt, if needed. Serve the tarator, drizzling with olive oil and topping with the toasted walnuts.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Tarator soup is a great way to get some fresh, Bulgarian flavours into your home kitchen very easily. It’s a simple dish to make, super bright and delicious.
Are you after a unique cold soup recipe? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
