Tarator (Bulgarian cold cucumber yogurt soup)

A Bulgarian starter dish built on whole ingredients.

Servings: 4
Active time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min

Organic sourcing

Cucumbers are on the EWG Dirty Dozen — worth sourcing organic. Fresh dill also benefits from being organic due to pesticide residue concerns. Walnuts have sturdy shells that naturally protect them, so the organic upgrade is less critical.

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 1 cup cold water
• 2 medium cucumbers
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• to taste sea salt
• to taste freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Peel and finely dice the cucumbers.
2. Crush the garlic cloves with a pinch of salt to make a paste.
3. In a large bowl, mix the yogurt with the cold water until smooth.
4. Stir the cucumber, garlic paste, and olive oil into the yogurt mixture.
5. Add the chopped walnuts and dill, stirring gently to combine.
6. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
7. Chill the soup in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

• For a thicker soup, reduce the amount of water.
• You can add a squeeze of lemon juice for extra tang.
• Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and extra walnuts on top.

Source

Paraphrased from the culinary canon by Organic.is editors, 2026. Classic Bulgarian recipe. If you'd like a specific source for further reading, ask Tinni (bottom-right) for a book recommendation.