Tarator (Bulgarian cold walnut and yogurt soup)

Bulgaria's classic cold yogurt, cucumber, walnut and dill soup: drunk ice-cold in summer

Origin: Bulgaria

From the journey of Walnut.

Tarator is the cold-weather antithesis in a summer-soup tradition that spans the entire Black Sea and Balkan region; from the Turkish cacık (a thick dip) to the Greek tzatziki (a sauce) to the Bulgarian tarator (a soup thin enough to drink from a glass). The Bulgarian version is the most poured and least scooped of this family: diluted with cold water to a genuinely soup-like consistency, it is sometimes served in a glass rather than a bowl and is drunk in one long, cold draught in the heat of a Bulgarian July. Walnuts are what distinguish it absolutely from its Turkish and Greek relatives, giving the Bulgarian soup a nuttiness and substance that cacık and tzatziki do not have. The walnut must be toasted; raw walnuts produce a flatter, more bitter flavour that the cold environment of the soup cannot temper. The garlic must be pounded to a paste with salt so that it distributes evenly through the liquid without chunks. The dill must be fresh; dried dill produces a dusty, flat flavour entirely foreign to tarator's brightness. Bulgaria's Rhodope and Balkan Mountain walnut orchards have supplied the nation's cooking for centuries; the walnut appears in Bulgarian cuisine not only in tarator but in banitsa (the national pastry), in sweet walnut preserves (slatko ot oreh: a spoonful of green walnuts in syrup), and in the nut-and-honey Christmas bread. But tarator is its most democratic preparation: the soup of every Bulgarian summer table, every roadside restaurant, every family meal from May through September.

Ingredients

Base

500 g full-fat natural yogurt (strained if very liquid)
2 medium cucumbers (approximately 400g), peeled, deseeded, cut into small dice (5mm)

Walnuts

100 g walnut halves, toasted

Seasoning

2 cloves garlic, pounded to a paste with a pinch of salt
60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
0.5 tsp white pepper

Thinning

250 ml ice-cold water (more to thin to desired consistency)

Herb

4 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped

Garnish

4 small sprigs fresh dill, for garnish
4 tbsp walnut halves, toasted, roughly broken, for garnish

Method

Toast the walnut halves in a dry frying pan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden; 3–4 minutes. Cool completely, then roughly chop about two-thirds of them; leave the rest in halves for garnish.
Pound the garlic cloves with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle to a smooth paste (or use the flat of a knife blade and mince very finely).
In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt until smooth. Add the garlic paste, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and white pepper. Whisk well to combine.
Add the diced cucumber and the chopped walnuts to the yogurt mixture and stir to combine. Add the chopped fresh dill.
Stir in the cold water, about 60ml at a time, until the soup is thin enough to flow from a ladle easily; it should be drinkable, not spoonable like a dip. Taste carefully and adjust salt, vinegar, and garlic.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve in bowls or cups with a drizzle of olive oil, the toasted walnut halves, and a sprig of fresh dill. Add 2–3 ice cubes to each bowl if eating immediately.

Notes

Tarator must be served cold; this is the whole point of the dish. Make it close to serving time as the cucumbers release water over several hours and dilute the yogurt further. If making ahead, hold the cucumber separately in a strainer and add 30 minutes before serving. In Bulgaria, tarator is sometimes served with a piece of cold poached chicken floating in it, making it a light summer main course.

The Gastrographer

Name: Tarator (Bulgarian cold walnut and yogurt soup)
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Bulgaria
Ingredients: 500 g full-fat natural yogurt (strained if very liquid); 2 medium cucumbers (approximately 400g), peeled, deseeded, cut into small dice (5mm); 100 g walnut halves, toasted; 2 cloves garlic, pounded to a paste with a pinch of salt; 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice; 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste; 0.5 tsp white pepper; 250 ml ice-cold water (more to thin to desired consistency); 4 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped; 4 small sprigs fresh dill, for garnish; 4 tbsp walnut halves, toasted, roughly broken, for garnish

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Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control