Tarator (таратор)

Tarator is a simple, cucumber cold soup, favourited by Bulgarians as a summer starter but can be made for any time of the year. This cold soup is among Bulgarians favorite foods for the summer. It is served as a first course instead of a salad or between meals as refreshment. Using fresh ingredients alongside the infamous Bulgarian yogurt (but any natural yogurt will do), it makes for a healthy and refreshing beginning to a meal or as a compliment to a salad regardless if you’re eating fish, meat or vegetables.

What Gazpacho is to the Spanish, Tarator recipes differ according to each of the Balkan or Middle Eastern countries; some preferring to substitute tahini instead of yogurt. It’s versatility also means you can dilute with water for a soup or make it thicker and use for a dip.

Some local variations of Tarator replace the yogurt with water and vinegar and nuts with bread. Other rarer variants replace the cucumbers with lettuce or carrots.