Bulgarian · Soup
Cool yogurt, cucumber, dill and walnuts for hot-weather lunches.
Photo by Gillgaramond · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized and converted to WebP for web display.
Tarator is Bulgaria’s cooling answer to summer heat: yogurt thinned to a spoonable broth, sharpened with garlic and packed with cucumber, dill and walnuts. It should be fluid and refreshing rather than as thick as a dip.
Technique notes
Bulgarian kitchen
Bulgarian tarator is a refreshing cold yogurt soup with cucumber, dill, garlic, walnuts and olive oil, ready in 25 minutes.
Toss cucumber with ¼ teaspoon salt and let it stand for 10 minutes; keep the liquid it releases.
Whisk yogurt until smooth, then slowly whisk in cold water, garlic, olive oil, remaining salt and lemon.
Stir in cucumber with its liquid, three-quarters of the walnuts and most of the dill.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Adjust salt and acidity, then garnish with walnuts, dill, pepper and optional ice.
Review ingredient labels for allergens and cross-contact. Follow the recipe’s handling notes, refrigerate perishable food promptly, and use an instant-read thermometer where a safe internal temperature is specified.
You are the test kitchen
Cook, taste and record what happened. These private notes stay in this browser; Gastromica does not receive or publish them.
Research EditionGood to know
Tarator is Bulgaria’s cooling answer to summer heat: yogurt thinned to a spoonable broth, sharpened with garlic and packed with cucumber, dill and walnuts. It should be fluid and refreshing rather than as thick as a dip.
Refrigerate covered for up to 2 days; stir well before serving because the yogurt may settle.
Serve very cold with bread, grilled vegetables or a simple tomato salad.
