Chef-tested recipe
A chilled Bulgarian soup of yogurt, cucumber, garlic and dill, finished with chopped walnuts and sunflower oil.
I keep tarator light enough to eat with a spoon, while leaving small pieces of cucumber for crunch. Plain, tangy yogurt gives the soup its character; garlic, fresh dill and walnuts supply the rest. Start with cold ingredients and add the water gradually so the yogurt keeps its flavour.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 4 starter portions
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 0 minutes
- Chilling Time
- 30 minutes
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Cuisine
- Bulgarian
- Course
- Cold soup or starter
- Cooking Method
- Mixing and chilling
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Best Served With
- Grilled vegetables, grilled meat, potato moussaka or bread
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Chef’s knife paid link
- Cutting board paid link
- Large mixing bowl paid link
- Whisk paid link
- Measuring jug paid link
- Ladle paid link
- Digital kitchen scale paid link
- Explore Bulgarian Cooking paid link
- Browse the Bulgarian recipe collection for more home cooking ideas. paid link
Ingredients
For the soup
- Plain unsweetened Bulgarian yogurt — 500 g, refrigerated; use another tangy plain yogurt if unavailable
- Cucumber — 400 g, trimmed weight
- Cold drinking water — 250 ml, plus up to 100 ml if needed
- Garlic — 6 g, peeled and finely crushed
- Fresh dill — 15 g, finely chopped
- Sunflower oil — 20 ml paid link
- Fine salt — 4 g, or to taste paid link
- Walnuts — 40 g, finely chopped; reserve half for serving paid link
Preparation Overview
Taste the yogurt before you begin. A runny yogurt needs less added water than a thick one. Use fresh walnuts without a stale or bitter aftertaste. Reserve 20 g walnuts for the final garnish.
Method
-
Wash the cucumber. Peel if the skin is thick or bitter, then cut into small cubes of about 5 mm. If the central seeds are large and watery, scrape out that loose portion before cutting.
-
Crush the garlic with a little of the measured salt to make a smooth paste. Whisk the yogurt in a bowl until even, then whisk in 250 ml cold water in two additions.
-
Stir in the cucumber, garlic paste, dill, sunflower oil, 20 g walnuts and the remaining salt to taste. Check the consistency: it should pour from a ladle while still lightly coating the cucumber. Add some or all of the extra water only if needed.
-
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Stir again before tasting, as a little separation is normal. Adjust salt carefully; the garlic becomes more noticeable as the soup stands.
-
Divide between four chilled bowls. Scatter the reserved walnuts over each portion and serve cold. Chef’s Notes – For a gentler garlic flavour, begin with half the garlic, chill the soup, then taste before adding the rest. – Dice rather than blend the cucumber when you want a crisp, distinct texture. Grated cucumber gives a different, finer result. – There is no need to heat the yogurt or toast the walnuts for this version. Keep the flavour fresh and the preparation cold. Substitutions and Variations If Bulgarian yogurt is unavailable, use unsweetened whole-milk yogurt with a pleasantly sour taste. Thick Greek-style yogurt needs more water; add it slowly. Omitting walnuts is a nut-free adaptation and changes the texture. A plant-based yogurt also makes an adaptation: choose an unsweetened product and check its allergens.
Serving Ideas
- Serve as a cool first course or alongside a hot main dish. Keep a larger batch refrigerated and pour small amounts for the table as needed. Use chilled bowls rather than adding ice, which continues diluting the soup.
Storage
Keep covered at 4°C or below and use within 2 days, or sooner if the yogurt’s use-by date requires. Stir before serving. Do not freeze for quality: thawed yogurt can separate and cucumber loses its crunch. Return to refrigeration promptly after serving; discard after more than 2 hours out, or 1 hour in temperatures above 32°C.
Allergen Notes
Contains milk and walnuts, a tree nut. Removing visible walnuts does not make an already-mixed batch suitable for someone with a walnut allergy; make their portion separately with clean equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is tarator meant to be thick like a dip?
This Bulgarian preparation is a cold soup. Add enough water for it to pour easily, while keeping a clear yogurt flavour.
Can I grate the cucumber?
Yes. It gives a finer texture and releases more liquid, so begin with less water and adjust after mixing.
