Tarator
Таратор·(tah-rah-TOR)
The Meze Table & Summer Salads
Tarator is the undisputed king of the Bulgarian summer—a wildly refreshing, no-cook soup built for sweltering heat and deep comfort. It is a masterpiece of culinary pragmatism that relies not on heat, but on crisp textures and a very specific sequence of assembly. Resist the urge to grate the cucumbers into mush or dump everything into a bowl at once. Treat the humble ingredients with respect, practice your knife skills, and pre-emulsify the aromatics. The result is an ice-cold, garlicky, dill-flecked cure-all that tastes exactly like a village grandmother’s kitchen.
Ingredients
- Persian cucumbers2 large
- garlic3 clove
- kosher salt1 tsp
- fresh dill1/3 cup
- sunflower oil or extra virgin olive oil3 tbsp
- walnuts1/3 cup
- plain whole milk yogurt2 cup
- cold filtered water1 1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Dice the cucumbers finely, resisting any urge to grate them.
Grating turns the soup into mush; proper dicing preserves the crisp, crunchy texture that contrasts beautifully with the creamy base. Place the diced cucumbers into a large mixing bowl.
- 02
Macerate the cucumbers with the aromatics and oil.
Add the garlic paste, chopped dill, walnuts, salt, and oil to the bowl with the cucumbers. Toss everything vigorously to coat. Mixing the oil with the solids first helps emulsify the fat, preventing an unappetizing oil slick from floating on top of your final soup.
- 03
Vigorously whisk the yogurt until completely smooth.
In a separate medium bowl, beat the plain yogurt with a whisk or fork until it is creamy and entirely free of lumps. If you pour water over thick, unwhisked yogurt, it will break into an unsightly, chalky mess.
- 04
Combine and thin the soup.
Pour the smoothed yogurt over the cucumber mixture and stir to combine. Gradually pour in the cold water, whisking continuously, until you reach a thin, drinkable consistency.
- 05
Chill thoroughly and adjust seasoning.
Taste for salt, remembering that cold temperatures mute flavors. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator for at least an hour to allow the garlic and dill to infuse into the dairy, then serve ice cold.
Notes
A note on the yogurt.
True Bulgarian yogurt possesses a distinct tang from the Lactobacillus bulgaricus strain. To mimic this tartness in American supermarket yogurt, you can add a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a half-teaspoon of white vinegar.
Beware the blooming garlic.
Raw garlic intensifies as it sits in liquid. If you are making this soup ahead of time for a weeknight dinner, limit the garlic to two cloves to avoid it becoming overpowering by the time it reaches the table.
Seek out sunflower oil.
While extra-virgin olive oil is a perfectly fine modern substitute, a high-quality, cold-pressed sunflower oil will impart the warm, slightly nutty flavor that is highly authentic to an Eastern European village kitchen.