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A beloved cold soup of the Balkans countries, our tarator recipe is a must-try in the heat of summer as a light and refreshing appetizer or side to put a smile on guests at your garden party or barbecue.
Tarator Recipe
Tarator originates from the Balkans, found in cuisines including Bulgarian cuisine and Albanian cuisine. Very much a Balkan variation of Greek, Cypriot, and Mediterranean tzatziki sauce, in the Balkans tarator is more commonly eaten as a cold soup in its own right, rather than as a side or dipping sauce, as is more common with tzatziki.
Delightfully refreshing and delicately creamy, with nutty, herby, and zesty notes, rounded off with a glorious garlic kick, summer in the Balkans simply isn’t complete without a bowl of fresh, icy cold tarator to enjoy.
Ingredients
To make tarator soup, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Creamy Yogurt – 400 grams (14oz)
- Cucumber – 1 English cucumber or 2-3 small cucumbers
- Walnuts – chopped or crushed, 60 grams (2oz)
- Dill – handful
- Garlic – 3 cloves, minced
- Olive Oil – 1 tbsp
- Salt – 1/2 tsp
- Water – to taste (we used 160 ml): you want to achieve soup consistency so how much water to add depends on how thick your creamy yogurt is.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 – Peel and chop the cucumber into small bites. To the bowl with cucumber, add salt, and set aside until ready to mix all ingredients.
Step 2 – Mince the garlic cloves and add the olive oil to the garlic. Let it sit until you’re ready to mix all ingredients.
Step 3 – Chop up the walnuts or crush them using a pestle and mortar or a bag and a rolling pin.
Step 4 – Chop up the dill.
Step 5 – To the cucumber, add the garlic-olive oil mixture, the walnuts (save a bit for decoration on top) and dill (again, save a bit to decorate the top of the bowls).
Step 6 – Add the yogurt and mix everything well. Once mixed, add enough ice-cold water to achieve soup consistency. We used 160 ml (about 3/4 cup) water in our case as our yogurt was really creamy and thick.
Ideally, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes as tarator is traditionally served cold. You can also add ice cubes instead of water if you’re in a hurry. This will make the soup will get very cold within a matter of a minute or two.
Step 7 – Serve it in bowls, decorate with crushed walnuts and dill, and enjoy this light, creamy and refreshing cold soup as it is, or with a range of sides.
Tarator is such an enticing dish to lay eyes on. The milky white soup speckled with dashes of green and brown from the crushed walnut and chopped dill is like an abstract painting of nature it’s so beautiful.
Cold soup dishes are prolific throughout the Balkans, and you truly are in for a treat if you’ve never tried a cold soup on a hot summer’s day.
Tarator is as wonderfully refreshing as an icy cold soda when you’ve been out in the sun, yet is as filling and nourishing as a rich, hot soup or stew on a cold winter’s evening.
Try it with a couple of slices of bread, pita, a side of grilled vegetables, or some fried seafood to take the dish to a whole new level of taste sensation, and enjoy!
Tarator Recipe Card
Tarator
Ingredients
- Creamy Yogurt – 400 grams (14oz)
- Cucumber – 1 English cucumber or 2-3 small cucumbers
- Walnuts – chopped or crushed, 60 grams (2oz)
- Dill – handful
- Garlic – 3 cloves, minced
- Olive Oil – 1 tbsp
- Salt – 1/2 tsp
- Water – to taste (we used 160 ml or about 3/4 cup): you want to achieve soup consistency so how much water to add depends on how thick your creamy yogurt is.
Instructions
- Peel and chop the cucumber into small bites. Put the cucumber in a bowl, add salt, and set aside until ready to mix all ingredients.
- Mince the garlic cloves and add the olive oil to the garlic. Let it sit until you’re ready to mix all ingredients.
- Chop up the walnuts or crush them using a pestle and mortar or a bag and a rolling pin.
- Chop up the dill.
- To the cucumber, add the garlic-olive oil mixture, the walnuts (save a bit for decoration on top) and dill (again, save a bit to decorate the top of the bowls).
- Add the yogurt and mix everything well. Once mixed, add enough ice-cold water to achieve soup consistency. We used 160 ml (about 3/4 cup) water in our case as our yogurt was really creamy and thick.
- Ideally, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes as tarator is traditionally served cold. You can also add ice cubes instead of water if you’re in a hurry. This will make the soup will get very cold within a matter of a minute or two.
- Serve it in bowls, decorate with crushed walnuts and dill, and enjoy this light, creamy and refreshing cold soup as it is, or with a range of sides.
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Contributor: Efimia is a home chef, who has been putting smiles on the faces of her friends, family, and loved ones with her home cooking for over 40 years and counting.
Author: Doina is a passionate home cook and content writer who, growing up in Moldova, is well versed in a wide array of foods and dishes from Eastern European and Balkans cuisines.