Тanov — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A chilled yogurt soup with barley, fresh herbs, and a swirl of mint-infused butter. This cooling Armenian summer soup is light yet satisfying, with the gentle tang of fermented yogurt as its backbone.

Ingredients

4 cups yogurt
1/2 cup pearl barley
4 cups water
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp flour
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 bunch fresh mint, chopped
4 green onions, sliced
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp dried mint
1 tsp salt

Instructions

1 Cook pearl barley in water for 30-35 minutes until tender but still slightly chewy. Do not drain.
2 Whisk yogurt with beaten egg and flour until smooth. This prevents the yogurt from curdling when heated.
3 Slowly stir the yogurt mixture into the pot with barley and its cooking water, stirring constantly in one direction.
4 Heat gently over low heat, stirring continuously, until slightly thickened. Do not let it boil.
5 Remove from heat, stir in fresh cilantro, mint, and green onions. Season with salt.
6 Melt butter with dried mint and drizzle over each serving. Serve warm or chilled.

Did You Know?

In Armenian villages, tanov apour was considered the perfect remedy for a hot summer day, served chilled from clay pots kept in cool cellars.