By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 30 minutes, plus 1 hour's refrigeration
- Rating
- 5(235)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Walnuts are used in sweet and savory dishes throughout the Mediterranean. Along the Italian Riviera, a rich ricotta and walnut sauce traditionally is served with ravioli filled with greens. In Turkey, a thick, garlicky walnut sauce called tarator is served with cooked vegetables, much as aïoli is in the South of France. In France, walnuts are added to salads, breads and many desserts, and they are eaten fresh as well as dried — a great delicacy in the fall, just after the harvest. I’ve never encountered creamy, fresh walnuts in American farmers’ markets, but if you know a walnut farmer, perhaps you could request some the next time they’re harvested. Before the weather becomes too chilly for cold soups, try this one. Bulgaria once was well known for the number of centenarians in its population, which some scientists attributed to the daily consumption of Bulgarian yogurt. Now, both the yogurt and eating culture in this mountainous country have changed for the worse, and so have local lifespans.
Featured in: The Mediterranean’s Secret Ingredient: Walnuts
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Ingredients
Yield:Serves four
- 2 to 4garlic cloves to taste, peeled, green shoots removed
- Salt to taste
- 2cups thick plain yogurt (Greek style, or drained)
- 2tablespoons walnut or olive oil, or 1 tablespoon each
- ⅔cup (2 ounces) shelled walnuts, finely chopped
- 1European cucumber, about 10 inches long, or 3 Persian cucumbers, cut in very small dice
- ½cup ice-cold water, preferably spring water
- 2tablespoons lemon juice
- Freshly ground pepper
- Ice cubes (optional)
- Finely chopped walnuts
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Finely chopped fresh dill or mint
For the Bulgarian Cucumber Soup With Walnuts
For the Garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
For the Bulgarian Cucumber Soup With Walnuts
Step
1
Place the garlic in a mortar with ½ teaspoon salt, and mash to a paste.
Step
2
Place the yogurt in a large bowl. Stir in the oil, garlic and walnuts. Whisk in the water and the lemon juice. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Chill for one hour or longer.
Step
3
Meanwhile, season the cucumbers lightly with salt, and allow to drain in a colander for 15 minutes. Add to the yogurt mixture and stir together.
Step
4
If you wish, place an ice cube in each bowl, and ladle in the soup. Top with chopped walnuts, a drizzle of olive oil if desired, and a sprinkling of dill or mint.
Tip
- Advance preparation: You can make this several hours before serving it. Keep the soup base and the cucumbers separately refrigerated. The longer the soup sits, the more pungent it will become.Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.
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235
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Cooking Notes
Rosa Angelova
You can shred the cucumbers instead of finely chopping them - it's just another variation of the soup. The Bulgarian recipe I grew up with has no lemon/lime juice, but way more dill than the recipe above. Fresh dill kind of makes the flavor of tarator and is not solely for garnish. This is a truly awesome summer soup!
Pat
For this soup - and for a lot of other recipes - I grate the garlic on a Microplane grater instead of pounding in a mortar.
Ken MacDonald
"suggest peeling the cucumber partway, with stripes" - I do this for just about any veg with contrasting skin/body color - eggplants, cucumbers, red potatoes, etc. I think I may have coined the name "zebra-peeling" for this years ago! Great for anything where too much skin adds bitterness (eggplant) or chewiness (mashed potatoes) while still adding skin's nutrition and color burst.
Victo
I might add a scallion to this soup or some chives.
Ron
This is very similar to "Cold Bulgarian Cucumber Soup" from the original version of Joy of Cooking. In that recipe the chopped cukes and walnuts are marinaded in the oil and salt, along with a couple tbsps of chopped fresh dill and some pepper. The mixture is only combined with the yogurt just before serving, but the finished soup keeps well for a couple of days.
The soup is the main reason I plant cucumbers and dill in my garden every year. Yum!
Dina
This was a great starter. I added chopped hard-boiled egg as garnish. Made it for 8 people, not a drop left.
Patrick McFadden
Great recipe. Had this in Sofia this summer and had to make it when we got back. As good as we had there. Maybe even better.
VD
We make pots and pots of this soup all summer long, there’s always some in the fridge. For a true Bulgarian soup use Bulgarian yogurt not Greek one. There are a few brands sold in the USA. Or use one that lists Bulgaricus bacilicus and has no thickeners. The fewer ingredients, the better. These yogurts are more tangy, no lemon needed. This is a very traditional dish, I’ve never seen lemons used in it. Lots of dill unless you really dislike it, it will still be great.
Durk
I mash garlic with salt to a smooth paste using the side of a french knife blade, by alternately mashing then scraping up off the cutting board to a little pile, then mashing again. I repeat this process a few times until I get a smooth paste (happens quickly). I find it more reliably thorough for smooth consistency without pulling out another kitchen gadget. Using the knife this way is easier on my wrists and hands than is the pestle, and for me it’s faster. Try it, and see what you think.
Yasmeen
I make a very similar soup, using a recipe from an old Austrian friend, swapping out the lemon for red wine vinegar and then adding olive oil and, secret ingredient, Knorr leek soup ! A family favorite for decades.
christiana
Cucumbers, walnuts, and dill marinated in the oil while making the rest of the soup and added as topping/folded in at time of eating.Allows the soup to keep for several days.
jim in japan
What a great August starter! The ice cube, olive oil, and flakey salt at the end all are very worthwhile. We’ve tried both mint and parsley—since that’s what we’ve had—and both good.
Marianna
I did not have European or Persian cucumbers, so I cored/seeded mine and thus kept the extra water content out. I also grated garlic on the microplane as others have suggested here. Did not have fresh herbs so used dried mint and dill. The soup was delicious and kept the right consistency for several days, without water separating from the Greek yogurt. In the current heat wave, I will be making this soup often. Makes for a great lunch at work, too, with a side of a crusty bread.
Mark
2 garlic cloves, lots of dill
Mark
2 garlic clove and lots of dill
Mark
2 cloves garlic. Lots of dill
Mark
Only 2 garlic cloves…. Really good
Mark
2 garlic cloves and lots of dill. Really good
John L.
Made closely following the recipe, except added a bit of fresh dill as per comments. Good, but ... just could not shake the sense that we were spooning up crunchy tzatziki (the flavor profile is very similar)."preferably spring water"? Overly precious.Be cautious on salting the yogurt mixture 'to taste,' as when following the recipe the lightly salted cukes will later add additional salt. They do not release all salt when draining. And why not skip both the added water & the cuke draining?
Janet
Could use more herbs - I added parsley and dill but will add more dill next time. And another half lemon too but no water. Great summer soup!
Camille E
Excellent summer recipe. I would advise to serve it as small portion starter with a piece of good bread on the side to dip on the soup. Flavour becomes tiring if you serve yourself a big bowl. However it is very sophisticated and will impress demanding crowds.
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