Cold Cucumber Soup, tarator

This ice cold cucumber soup makes for the light and refreshing side dish on a hot summer day. It’s nutritious and incredibly straightforward to prepare, and requires zero cooking! This particular cucumber soup is called “TA-RA-TOR” in Bulgaria. Tarator is a staple in our country, and on the menu in every restaurant, especially during the hot summer days. This dish pairs perfectly with grilled meat, fish, veggies, and cevapi (similar to kebabs), or it’s on its own on a hot summer day. You will love this refreshing healthy and straightforward soup.

Before you start

• Cold Cucumber Soup, also known as Tarator, is a refreshing dish suited to hot days and requires zero cooking.
• The soup features ingredients like grated English cucumber, yogurt, garlic, olive oil, dill, and salt, mixed with filtered water.
• Serve Cold Cucumber Soup as a light appetizer or pair it with hearty main courses like stuffed peppers or grilled meats.
• To adjust thickness, vary the amount of water; enjoy the soup cold, and consider adding ice for instant refreshment.

What stands out

This Cold Cucumber Soup is a unique soup that is perfectly refreshing on a hot day. It has all the flavors of a Greek tzatziki, but with added filtered water it becomes a luscious and delicate soup. We love the subtle textures of crisp cucumber and garlic, but you could chop everything even finer if you want a smoother soup. The beauty of this simple soup is that it is a celebration of fresh, simple ingredients that come together and burst with flavor.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Our mom and we made this today and it was so tasty! We halved the recipe. The fresh dill is key. We loved how all the different flavours come out. She preferred it as a salad and we mixed water in ours to make the soup. This definitely will be on repeat!

– Rachel

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• English Cucumber: These long, slender cucumbers also go by the names “seedless” and “hothouse” cucumbers. They are mild and sweet. Persian cucumbers also work well.
• Plain Yogurt: The type of yogurt you use will heavily impact the flavor of the soup. Opt for a European yogurt—Balkan/Bulgarian yogurt is ideal, if you can find it, or Greek yogurt.
• Salt: Seasoning with salt helps bring out the flavors of the dish, from sweet cucumber, to tangy yogurt and earthy dill. We like to use Redmond Salt.
• Dill: Fresh dill is earthy and anisey (similar to licorice). In a pinch, you can also use fennel fronds, which have a similar appearance and flavor.
• Garlic: Pungent, sharp, and a little spicy, garlic adds aroma to this simple soup.
• Filtered Water: If you don’t want to wait for your soup to chill in the refrigerator, you can use chilled filtered water, and enjoy the cold soup right away.
• Olive Oil: The finishing touch to this cold soup is a drizzle of flavorful olive oil. Opt for the highest quality olive oil you can find, as the flavor here makes all the difference. Either a peppery, full-bodied olive oil or a lemony olive oil are here.

Kitchen tip

You can either grate the cucumber on the smaller hole setting of a box grater or dice it finely.

Swaps

1. Use your favorite brand and style of plain yogurt. We like Balkan-style yogurt, Bulgarian yogurt, or Greek Yogurt.
2. If you like your cold cucumber soup thicker add less water and if you like it thinner, add more water.
3. This dish should be enjoyed really cold. Some people like to add ice cubes and serve it right away.
4. Fresh dill is a key flavor. If you don’t like the taste of dill, you could try basil, parsley, or even mint as well.
5. Finely mince the garlic to avoid getting that pungent taste from large pieces. Add as much or as little garlic as you like.

Serve it with

• This Cold Cucumber Soup can be served as a light appetizer to a heartier main course, such as Bulgarian Stuffed PeppersChicken Thighs in Yogurt Marinade or Stuffed Peppers with Feta.
• Serve this soup alongside our No Knead Peasant Bread or pitas.
• When enjoying this Cold Cucumber Soup as a main dish, we like to serve it with a big, substantial salad like our Authentic Greek SaladHealthy Potato Salad or Best Pasta Salad.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Oversalting: Always taste and then season with salt. Remember, you can always add more salt but you can’t take away what has already been added.

“Broken” Soup: If your yogurt has split and the soup resembles a “broken” mixture, try whisking well for about 1 minute. To avoid this, you can also whisk your yogurt until smooth, prior to adding the remaining ingredients. If you’re still not happy with the texture of the soup, you can put everything in a blender and blend until smooth.

Lacking Flavor: This is meant to be a simple, mild dish, but you can boost the flavor with additional fresh herbs and more garlic. As the soup chills in the refrigerator, the flavors (particularly garlic) will intensify.

Questions

what type of yogurt is best?

You can use any yogurt variety you love. You just may have to adjust the amount of water added to make it as thick or thin as you prefer.

can we make this cold cucumber soup dairy-free?

We haven’t personally tried making this with a non-dairy brand of yogurt, but we don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Again, you may have to adjust the amount of water added to achieve the preferred consistency.

C an we make this soup ahead of time?

Absolutely! This soup actually tastes even better after chilling in the refrigerator overnight, because the flavors have more time to meld together.

can we add other herbs to this?

Dill is traditional, but you could certainly add basil, parsley or even mint as well.

How should this cold soup be served?

You can serve this as a an appetizer/starter to a larger meal or as the main dish in a light meal. We like to eat this as a summertime lunch, alongside a hearty salad. If your soup isn’t already chilled, add some ice cubes to the bowl.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 1 English cucumber (diced), or finely grated
• 750 grams plain yogurt, (one 26-ounce container)
• 2 teaspoons salt, to taste
• 4 tablespoons dill, to taste
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2.5 cups cold filtered water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ice, optional

Equipment

• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring Cups + Spoons
• Nakiri Knife
• Cutting Board
• Liquid Measuring Cup

Method

1. In a large bowl add the finely diced cucumber, yogurt, salt, dill, and garlic and mix.
2. Add in the cold water and whisk until smooth. You can add more or less water, depending on the desired consistency. You can also omit the water for a delicious dip.
3. Taste and season with more salt, as needed. Add a small drizzle of olive oil over the top of the soup.
4. Store the soup in the refrigerator to chill overnight. Some Bulgarians will add ice cubes before serving to make it EXTRA cold. You can also add chopped walnuts for a garnish, if you like. Enjoy!

Kitchen notes

• Garnishes: This simple cold soup really needs no additions, but if you love beautiful presentations, here are a few options for garnishes: finely chopped cucumber, finely chopped red onion, a few sprigs of dill, a squeeze of lemon juice and a thin slice of lemon, a swirl of plain yogurt, or a sprinkle of crushed walnuts.
• Blended: This dish traditionally contains texture, but if you want a smooth soup, you can add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until no lumps remain.
• Herbs: In addition to or in place of dill, we also love flat-leaf parsley and fresh tarragon.
• Summer Delight: This dish is best enjoyed in the summer, when cucumbers are bursting from gardens and in season at the farmers market, and a cold soup is refreshing on a hot day.
• Yogurt Quantity: You’ll need about 3 cups of yogurt for this recipe, which is equivalent to 750 grams or 26 ounces.