A chilled summer soup of thick yogurt, grated cucumbers, crushed walnuts, garlic, and dill, thinned with ice water. Bulgaria's answer to the heat, served in every home and restaurant during the sweltering Balkan summers.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Presentation Guide
Vessel: deep ceramic bowl
Garnishes: dill sprig, walnut pieces, ice cubes
Accompaniments: crusty bread
Instructions
-
1
Whisk yogurt until smooth in a large bowl. Gradually stir in cold water until the desired soup-like consistency is reached.
-
2
Grate cucumbers on the coarse side of a box grater. Add grated cucumber to the yogurt mixture and stir to combine.
-
3
Crush garlic with salt using a mortar or press directly into the soup. Mix thoroughly.
-
4
Add chopped walnuts and sunflower oil. Stir to distribute evenly throughout the soup.
-
5
Season with salt, add chopped dill, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve ice-cold with ice cubes floating on top.
Did You Know?
Bulgarian truck drivers keep thermoses of tarator in their cabs during summer, treating it as both food and cooling drink.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- mixing bowl
- grater
- knife
Garnishing
dill sprig, walnut pieces, ice cubes
Accompaniments
crusty bread
The Story Behind Таратор
Tarator belongs to a family of cold yogurt soups found across the Balkans and Middle East, but the Bulgarian version is distinctive for its use of walnuts rather than mint or bread. Rooted in Ottoman culinary traditions, it became deeply embedded in Bulgarian summer rituals. The soup relies on the legendary thickness of Bulgarian yogurt, which was the original source of Lactobacillus bulgaricus, the bacterium that gives yogurt its tang.
Comments (0)
Log in to leave a comment.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!