Chilled Cucumber Soup

Name: Chilled Cucumber Soup (Tarator)
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Cuisine: Macedonian
Ingredients: 1 garlic clove, finely minced; 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish; 2 English cucumbers, peeled, deseeded, and chopped; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream; Thinly sliced cucumber, for garnish; 4 cups (1 liter) plain full-fat Balkan yogurt (or any plain full-fat yogurt); 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint; 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Tarator

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Macedonia

By Katerina Nitsou

Published 2021

About

This cold, refreshing soup is very popular in Macedonia during the hot summer months. It is often served with fresh bread and a crisp salad on the side. The flavors are so simple and bright. I’ve added a bit of heavy cream to round out the tartness of the yogurt and give it a bit of richness.

Ingredients

2 English cucumbers, peeled, deseeded, and chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 garlic clove

Europe
Macedonia
Soup
Gluten-free
Summer
Vegetarian

Method

Place the cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle with the salt. Set aside to drain for 20 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the cucumbers, garlic, dill, mint, and lemon juice. Process for 30 second. Scrape down the sides with spatula and process for another 30 seconds, until you have a thin purée. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

Using a spatula, stir the yogurt and heavy cream into