Tarator aka Cold Soup

This is one of my all time favorite soups. It's easy to prepare. It takes 15-20 min to prepare and after that it's ready to be served. We Bulgarians love to make this soup in the summer and the majority of Bulgarians keep a whole pot of Tarator in their refrigerators during summer because it's very refreshing. I also think it's a good remedy for hangover ;)  . My husband, who is American, was very skeptical the first time he tried it but surprisingly he liked it so much that he learned how to make Tarator (which is very simple actually ). 

The original recipe calls for walnuts, I , however prefer pecans. Many people don't like nuts , so if you are one of them , you can skip that step. The soup will still taste delicious. 

Here is what you need for this soup

1 cucumber chopped finely 

5-6 garlic cloves smashed and chopped 

1/4 cup fresh dill chopped finely (or 2-3 Tbsp. dried dill weed) 

3-4 cups plain whole milk yogurt 

1-2 Tbsp. olive oil 

2-3 cups cold water 

Sea salt to taste 

1/2 cup pecans/walnuts (optional) 

Combine cucumber, garlic, dill, olive oil and sea salt in a bowl . Mix well. Add yogurt and water . Stir and check if more salt needed. Add nuts. Serve immediately or refrigerate.