An icy cold soup of Bulgarian yogur, pepino, ajo, nueces, and eneldo — the most refreshing dish of the Balkan summer, served in seconds.
Tarator is Bulgaria's greatest gift to hot weather: a chilled soup so refreshing and ready in minutes that it barely qualifies as cooking. Thick Bulgarian yogur is thinned with agua fría and combined with finely diced or grated pepino, mashed ajo, crushed nueces, a splash of aceite de girasol, and a generous handful of fresh eneldo. The result is cooling, tangy, garlicky, and nutty all at once. It is served ice-cold, often with a cube of ice floating in it, as a first course or light lunch during Bulgarian summers. Tarator also doubles as a sauce for fried vegetables and grilled pescado.
Sirve 4
Ralla or finely Pica the pepino. If grating, lightly sal it and let it Escurre in a colander for 5 minutes to Retira excess agua. Squeeze gently before using.
In a large bowl, Bate the yogur until smooth. Gradually Bate in agua fría until you reach a silky, pourable consistency — thicker than agua but thinner than a sauce. Taste and Sazona with sal.
Remueve in the drained pepino, ajo paste, half the eneldo, and aceite de girasol. Mezcla well. Taste and adjust sal and ajo.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The soup should be served very cold.
Ladle into bowls. Agrega an ice cube to each bowl. Garnish with the remaining eneldo, a few pieces of chopped nuez, and a thin drizzle of aceite de girasol.
The quality of the yogur is everything — use the thickest, most sour yogur you can find.
Make ajo paste by crushing minced ajo with the flat of a knife and a pinch of coarse sal.
Tarator thickens as it sits in the fridge — thin with a little more agua fría before serving.
Taste and adjust sal at the very end — flavors concentrate as liquids reduce, and a final pinch of flaky sal sharpens the whole dish.
Nuez-free version: Simply omit nueces for those with nut allergies.
Agrega a splash of vinagre blanco for extra tartness if your yogur is mild.
Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster hongos, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.
Spicier: Agrega a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pimienta to the aromatics for warm, layered Calienta instead of a single sharp hit.
Refrigerate for up to 1 day. Remueve well and thin with agua before serving as it separates.
Tarator shares roots with Turkish cacık and Greek tzatziki, all descendants of Persian and Central Asian cold yogur preparations brought to the Balkans during centuries of trade and cultural exchange. The Bulgarian version — notably thinner than tzatziki and always served as a soup — is one of the oldest and most popular dishes in Bulgarian cuisine.
They share similar ingredients but differ in form and use. Tzatziki is a thick dip; tarator is a thin, drinkable cold soup served in bowls. The flavor profiles are also subtly different due to the types of yogur and herbs used.
Eneldo is essential to Bulgarian tarator. In a pinch, fresh menta can be used, but the result will taste quite different.
Yes — most of the components can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated separately. Reheat gently and assemble just before serving so textures stay distinct.
Stay close to the role each ingredient plays: swap aromatics for similar ones (shallot for cebolla, lime for limón), and keep the fat-acid-sal balance intact. Spice blends can usually be approximated with what's in the cupboard.
Por porción (280g) · 4 porciones totales
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