Tarator Soup (Chilled Cucumber Yogurt Soup)

When it’s too hot to cook, this low-carb chilled cucumber yogurt soup called tarator is refreshing, delicious, and ready in minutes. Check out the links in this post for 10 great cold soup recipes that are also low carb.

PIN the Tarator Soup recipe to try later!

Anyone who watches the news has heard that this summer will see unusually high temperatures around the world. And if your area is very hot right now, it’s the perfect time to make cold soups.

When I made gazpacho a few years ago, I fell in love with the idea of a cold soup and was amazed at how delicious and refreshing it was. The cold soup I am going to introduce today, called Tarator, is popular in several parts of the world. And if you Google the word Tarator, you’ll find that it refers to Bulgarian soup, Lebanese garlic sauce, two completely different foods with the exact same name.

My version of this chilled cucumber yogurt soup is based on a recipe I found. Zahaf: The World of Israeli Cuisine (affiliate link), world famous middle eastern restaurant It’s been at the top of my must-eat list for years. And to me, this soup definitely has a lot of Middle Eastern flair.

It was near 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Salt Lake when I was flipping through the book, so it’s no wonder cold soup seemed like a great idea. We loved it when we tested the recipe. And my friend Virginia, who stopped by to sample what we were testing that day, also appreciated it.

What kind of material do you need?

(This is just a list of ingredients. Scroll down to see the full printable recipe, or use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page to go straight to the full recipe.)

Greek yogurt (I used Greek yogurt with 5% phage milk fat this time)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice.I used fresh frozen lemon juice
small cucumber or mini cucumber
chopped toasted walnuts
chopped fresh herbs
fresh minced garlic (or more)
extra virgin Olive oil (affiliate link)
half and half, heavy cream, milk, or buttermilk
water
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tips for making this talator soup:

This is a thick yoghurt soup with chopped cucumber, chopped fresh herbs, chopped walnuts, lemon juice, finely chopped fresh garlic and olive oil all mixed together to create an interesting blend of flavors in half and half (or your favorite dairy drink) and diluted broth. If you read the recipe and it seems like you have more of these ingredients than you like, I recommend starting with a small amount, tasting, and adjusting until the soup has a blend of flavors that you like.

What can I use to dilute tarator soup?

It’s a thick soup, but I think you can dilute it a little. A small amount of water was used in halves to create a thick, creamy broth. You can also use heavy cream for the keto diet if you prefer. But if you don’t want a soup that’s too fatty, I think you can dilute it with plain milk (or buttermilk for a slightly tangy soup).

Shelf life of tarator soup in the refrigerator:

I ate quite a bit the day I tried this recipe, so I gave some to a friend who stopped by. However, I had some left over so I refrigerated it overnight and it was still delicious the next day. It will probably last another day, but not longer. I noticed that refrigerating the soup overnight intensified the garlic flavor slightly.

Are there variations of this chilled cucumber yogurt soup?

The way my creative culinary brain works is that as soon as I try a delicious new recipe like this, I start thinking of possible variations. It happens even when the recipe is adapted from a famous cookbook. I can’t help it. So if you want to make a slightly different version of this soup, I think adding diced avocado, finely diced cooked shrimp, or a little crushed feta or Mexican cotija cheese would all be interesting additions.And I definitely don’t mind one bit Sumac (Affiliate link) Sprinkle on the finished soup!

How to make tarator (cold cucumber yogurt soup)

(This is just an overview of the recipe steps. Scroll down to see the full printable recipe, or use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page to go directly to the full recipe.)

Cut the cucumbers into about 1/2-inch squares.
Chop fresh herbs.
Finely chop the fresh garlic.
Measure out 2 cups of 5% milkfat Greek yogurt.
Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan for 2 minutes and chop them finely.
Set aside a few cucumbers, chopped herbs, chopped walnuts, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil (for garnish).
Add the cucumber, minced herbs, minced garlic, and minced walnuts to a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Stir in Greek yogurt, lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, half and half (or dairy of your choice).
Stir and then thin with water until desired thickness is achieved.
Taste and see if you need salt or freshly ground black pepper.
If the ingredients are cold, the soup may not need to be chilled before serving, but chill for a few hours if necessary.
Serve chilled, topped with chopped cucumber, chopped walnuts, chopped fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
This kept in the fridge overnight, but I doubt it will last longer than 2 days.

10 more great low-carb cold soups:

material

2 cups Greek yogurt (see note)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (see note)
2 cups small or mini cucumber chopped
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (see notes)
1 T (or more) fresh minced garlic
1/4 cup + 2T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup half & half (see note)
1/4 cup water (as needed)
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper

procedure

Chop enough small garden cucumbers or small mini cucumbers to make 2 cups of chopped cucumbers about 1/2 inch square. If the cucumber is small or just picked from the garden, you don’t need to peel it, but if you need to buy a large cucumber from the store, cut off all or most of the skin.
Chop a generous 1/2 cup of fresh mint, parsley, and dill. I used a combination of all three of these herbs this time, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
About 1 tablespoon of fresh garlic, finely chopped if desired.
Measure out 2 cups of 5% milkfat Greek yogurt.
Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan for 2 minutes and chop them finely.
Set aside a few cucumbers, chopped herbs, chopped walnuts, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil (for garnish).
In a large glass or plastic mixing bowl, combine the cucumber, chopped herbs, chopped garlic, and chopped walnuts and season with salt and pepper.
Mix Greek yogurt, lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, and half and half (or your favorite dairy product).
Stir and then thin with water until desired thickness is achieved. (I used 1/4 cup of water this time.)
Taste the soup to see if it needs salt or freshly ground black pepper.
If the ingredients are cold out of the fridge, you may not need to chill the soup, but if it’s not that cold, chill for an hour or two.
Serve the soup chilled and top with the reserved chopped cucumber, chopped walnuts, chopped fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
This kept in the fridge overnight, but I doubt it will last longer than 2 days.

Note

This recipe uses Greek yogurt with 5% milk fat. I used fresh frozen lemon juice.

I used chopped mint, parsley, and dill for the soup, but if you don’t have all that, use a generous 1/2 cup (chopped) herbs.

Thin the soup with half and half, heavy cream, milk, buttermilk, whatever you prefer or have on hand.

Karin and Carla adapted the tarator soup recipe found in Zahaf: The World of Israeli Cuisine (affiliate link).

Nutrition Facts Table:

yield:

Serving size:

1

Amount Per Serving:
calorie: 174Total Fat: 13gsaturated fat: 3gTrans fat: 0gUnsaturated fat: 9gcholesterol: 11mgsodium: 138mgcarbohydrates: 7gfiber: 1gsugar: 4gprotein: 10g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the recipe plugin I use. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy as many variables affect the calculation.

Low Carb / Low Glycemic / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This delicious taratol soup is perfect for low carb diets and keto diet plans. High-fat yogurt, half-and-half, and plenty of olive oil make the original South Beach Diet high in fat, but if you follow the South Beach Diet strictly, I think you can make a pretty tasty version with less fat-free yogurt, milk or buttermilk, and maybe a little less olive oil.

Find more recipes like this:
Find more recipes like this with our soup recipes. Use the diet type index to find recipes that are suitable for specific meal plans. You might also want to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on facebook, on Instagram, on TikTokagain on youtube See all the great recipes I’m sharing there.