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Tarator
Bulgarian chilled yogurt soup with cucumber, walnuts and dill
Tarator is what Bulgarians eat on hot July days, from the Black Sea resorts of Varna and Burgas to Sofia lunch counters: a cold, thin soup of tangy yogurt and water with grated cucumber, garlic, dill and crushed walnuts, a drizzle of sunflower oil on top and sometimes an ice cube floating in the bowl. It is served as a starter or drunk from a glass beside a plate of grilled vegetables. Chef's tip: use full-fat, sour, set yogurt and thin it to the consistency of single cream; making it too thick is the usual mistake, and it should be sippable.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
To serve
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Mix 1 cucumber with ¾ tsp salt and 2 garlic cloves in a bowl and leave for 5 minutes so the cucumber softens and gives up its juice.
5 minStep 2: Whisk 1 ⅛ lb full-fat plain yogurt until smooth, then whisk in 1 ¾ cups cold water a little at a time until the soup is thin and pourable.
3 minStep 3: Stir in the cucumber with its juice, 4 tbsp fresh dill and most of 1 ⅜ oz walnuts. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
2 minStep 4: Ladle into bowls, scatter over the remaining walnuts, drizzle with 2 tbsp sunflower oil and add 4 ice cubes if the day is hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tarator take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of full-fat plain yogurt?
- Sour cream or buttermilk, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cucumber?
- Courgette, same weight (in salads, use young ones).
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