Tarator – Easy Bulgarian Cold Soup With Cucumber and Yogurt
Tarator is one of the most popular Bulgarian recipes. Every Bulgarian knows how to make it. This refreshing cold soup combines yogurt, cucumber, and water with garlic, fresh dill, salt, and sunflower oil. In some parts of Bulgaria, people also top it with chopped walnuts for extra crunch and flavor.
Tarator is quick to make and uses simple, affordable ingredients you can find in almost any grocery store. It is cool, creamy, and incredibly refreshing on a hot summer day. In Bulgaria, people often enjoy it for lunch or serve it as an appetizer before dinner with a glass of rakia, our traditional fruit brandy.
I could eat tarator all summer long and never get tired of it. In this post, I’ll show you how to make authentic Bulgarian tarator and share my best tips for getting the perfect flavor and texture every time.
Why You’ll Love Tarator
Delicious – Yogurt, cucumber, and dill are a classic flavor combination in Bulgarian cuisine. Every spoonful is cool, creamy, and refreshing with crunchy cucumbers, fragrant dill, and a hint of garlic.
Nutritious – Tarator uses fresh ingredients and requires no cooking, so everything stays fresh and flavorful. It provides protein, calcium, probiotics, antioxidants, healthy fats, and plenty of hydration. A handful of chopped walnuts adds even more nutrients and a satisfying crunch.
Easy on the stomach – This cold soup feels light and gentle. Yogurt contains probiotics, while cucumber and dill are well known for their soothing and digestive properties.
No cooking required – You don’t need to turn on the stove. That makes tarator the perfect meal for hot summer days when you want something cool and refreshing.
Easy to make – Even kids in Bulgaria know how to make tarator. Simply chop the cucumber and dill, stir everything together, and it’s ready to serve. If you don’t enjoy chopping vegetables by hand, check out the Equipment section for a quicker option.
Ready in minutes – Tarator is one of the fastest homemade meals you can make. Depending on your chopping speed, it takes only 5 to 7 minutes from start to finish.
Perfect for meal prep – Make it ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavors become even better as they meld together.
Great for travel – Pour tarator into a thermos to keep it cold on the go. I love taking it on summer road trips because it stays refreshing even on the hottest days.
Ingredients
- English seedless cucumber or several Persian cucumber
- Bulgarian yogurt
- Ice cold water
- Dill
- Garlic
- Sunflower oil
Equipment
- Measuring cups
- Knife
- Vegetable peeler
- Cutting board
- Garlic press
- Vegetable chopper – if you don’t like chopping finely.
- Large bowl
- Ladle
- Serving bowls
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Helpful Tips for Making Tarator
Use an English cucumber – English cucumbers have a thin, tender peel and very few seeds, making them perfect for tarator. Regular American slicing cucumbers contain more seeds and have a thicker skin, so they won’t give you the same texture. Small Persian cucumbers work well too.
Taste the cucumber first – Before you start, taste a slice of the cucumber. If it tastes bitter, don’t use it because it can make the entire tarator bitter. I also like to taste the peel. If it feels too thick or tough, I peel off part of it, leaving a few strips behind. This keeps some of the extra crunch and nutrients while making the cucumber easier to chew.
Use whole Bulgarian yogurt – For the most authentic flavor, use plain whole Bulgarian yogurt. You can often find it at Whole Foods or international grocery stores. Greek yogurt has a different texture and tanginess, so it won’t taste quite the same.
Salt the cucumbers first – As soon as you chop the cucumbers, sprinkle them with salt. The salt draws out some of their juices, which become part of the soup. It also seasons the cucumbers all the way through instead of leaving them bland.
Stir the yogurt before adding the water – Give the yogurt a good stir first to break up any lumps. This creates a smoother, creamier soup.
Use less water – Traditional tarator often uses equal parts yogurt and water. I prefer using 2 cups of yogurt and only 1 cup of water. The soup turns out much creamier, richer, and more satisfying. In my opinion, watery tarator just isn’t as good.
Use ice-cold water – The colder the water, the more refreshing the soup. If your water isn’t very cold, prepare the tarator ahead of time and chill it well before serving.
Use sunflower oil – Sunflower oil gives tarator its traditional Bulgarian flavor. Skip the olive, avocado, or canola oil if you want the most authentic taste.
Season to your taste – Start with a smaller amount of garlic, dill, and salt, then adjust as needed. You can always add more, but you can’t take it back out.
Top with walnuts if you like – Some Bulgarians sprinkle chopped walnuts over their tarator, while others insist it doesn’t belong. I love the extra crunch, but my husband is firmly on the other side of that debate!
Serving
Serve tarator well chilled as a light lunch or as an appetizer before dinner. Give it a good stir before serving because the cucumber pieces naturally settle at the bottom of the bowl.
Top each serving with chopped walnuts if you like. You can use either raw or roasted walnuts for extra crunch. In Bulgaria, tarator is often served with rakia, our traditional fruit brandy, making it a refreshing start to a summer meal.
Storing
Store leftover tarator in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For the best quality, always use a clean ladle or spoon when serving. Avoid dipping a tasting spoon back into the bowl, as this can introduce bacteria and shorten the soup’s shelf life.
As the tarator sits in the refrigerator, the cucumbers will continue to release some of their moisture and gradually lose a little of their crunch. Simply stir the soup before serving again.
I don’t recommend freezing tarator. The cucumbers become soft and watery after thawing, which ruins the texture.
Tarator – Easy Bulgarian Cold Soup With Cucumber and Yogurt
Ingredients
- ½ lb seedless English cucumber or other seedless cucumber
- 2 cups Whole Bulgarian yogurt
- 1 cup ice-cold water
- 2 medium sized garlic cloves pressed or grated
- 1 Tbsp sunflower oil or to taste
- fresh dill to taste finely chopped
- salt to taste
- chopped walnuts for garnish optional
Instructions
- Wash one English cucumber and trim the ends. If the peel is too thick peel some of it off.
- Finely dice the cucumber and place it in a large bowl.
- Add the pressed garlic and salt in the bowl with the diced cucumber. Stir well.
- Pour the yogurt over the cucumbers and stir to break down any lumps.
- Add the ice-cold water, chopped dill, and sunflower oil. Stir until everything is well combined.
- Taste the tarator and add more salt, garlic, or dill if needed.
- Divide into bowls and top with roughly chopped walnuts, if desired. Serve immediately while cold or chill in the fridge and enjoy within 3 days.
Notes
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