Tarator Recipe (Cold Yogurt and Cucumber Soup)

Tarator is essentially what happens when tzatziki decides to become a soup rather than a dip, thinning thick yogurt with cold water and studding it with grated cucumber, garlic, dill and crushed walnuts, served properly cold on the hottest days of summer. It is found across Greek Thrace and the wider Balkan region under closely related names and forms.

It needs no cooking at all, and the whole dish comes together in fifteen minutes provided the yogurt itself is properly cold to start with, since a soup that starts warm never quite recovers the same refreshing chill even after time in the fridge.

This is real summer food, built for the hottest part of the day when a heavy cooked meal is the last thing anyone wants, and the walnuts add just enough texture and richness to keep it from feeling like plain diluted yogurt.

Key preparation steps

1. Thin cold, thick yogurt with cold water to a pourable soup consistency.
2. Stir in grated cucumber, crushed garlic and dill.
3. Add crushed walnuts and a drizzle of olive oil.
4. Chill briefly and serve very cold.

Getting the consistency right

Whisk thick, cold Greek yogurt with cold water gradually, adding a little at a time, until it reaches a pourable, soup-like consistency rather than staying as thick as a dip. The exact amount of water needed varies with how thick your yogurt is to begin with, so add it gradually and taste as you go.

The cucumber and garlic

Grate the cucumber and squeeze out some of its excess water in a clean tea towel, exactly as for tzatziki, since too much liquid here dilutes the soup further than intended. Stir in the drained cucumber along with crushed garlic and a generous amount of chopped fresh dill.

Finishing and serving

Stir through crushed walnuts, which add texture and a little richness, and a drizzle of good olive oil. Chill for at least thirty minutes, ideally longer, before serving, and serve genuinely cold, in chilled bowls if possible, since this soup loses much of its appeal once it comes anywhere close to room temperature.

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