Tarator Soup (Chilled Cucumber Yogurt Soup)

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When it’s too hot to cook, this low-carb Chilled Cucumber Yogurt Soup called Tarator is refreshing, delicious, and ready in minutes. See the links in this post for 10 more amazing cold soup recipes that are also low in carbs!

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Anyone who watches the news has heard that all over the world there are extreme high temperatures this summer. And if your part of the world is having very hot weather right now, it’s a perfect time to make some chilled soup!

I became a convert to the idea of cold soup a few years back when I made Gazpacho, and I was amazed at how delicious and refreshing it was. The chilled soup called Tarator that I’m sharing today is something that’s popular in a few different parts of the world. And if you google the word Tarator, you’ll see it can refer to a Bulgarian soup or a Lebanese garlic sauce, two completely different foods with the exact same name!

My version of this chilled cucumber yogurt soup was adapted from a recipe I spotted in Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking (affiliate link), a cookbook from the world-famous middle eastern restaurant that’s been at the top of my must-eat-there list for a few years now. And to me this soup definitely has a lot of middle eastern vibes.

I was flipping through the book on a day when the temperature in Salt Lake was nearly 100F, so it’s no wonder that cold soup seemed like a brilliant idea. We loved it when we tested the recipe, and my friend Virginia who stopped by to sample the things we were testing that day also gave it a thumbs up!

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

Greek Yogurt (I used Fage 5% milkfat Greek yogurt)
fresh-squeezed lemon juice; I used my fresh-frozen lemon juic
small cucumbers or mini cucumbers
chopped toasted walnuts
chopped fresh herbs
minced fresh garlic (or more)
extra virgin Olive Oil (affiliate link)
half and half, heavy cream, milk, or buttermilk
water
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Tips for making this Tarator Soup:

This is a chunky yogurt soup with chopped cucumbers, chopped fresh herbs, chopped walnuts, lemon juice, finely-minced fresh garlic, and olive oil all mixed together to create an interesting blend of flavors in a soup that’s thinned with half and half (or the dairy drink of your choice) and water. When you read through the recipe, if any of those ingredients sound like the amounts are more than you might prefer, I urge you to start with a smaller amount, then taste and and adjust until the soup has the blend of flavors you prefer.

What can you use to thin the Tarator Soup?

This is a thick and chunky soup, but you’ll want to thin it a bit. We used some water along with half and half to make a rich and creamy soup, and you can even use heavy cream for Keto if you prefer. But if you don’t want a soup with that much fat I think it will still be delicious thinned with regular milk (or even buttermilk for a soup that’s a bit more tangy in flavor.)

How long will Tarator Soup keep in the fridge:

The day we tested this recipe we ate quite a bit of it and I gave some to my friend who stopped by. But I did have some left that I refrigerated over night, and it was still great the next day. I am guessing it would probably last one more day, but probably not longer than that. I did notice that the garlic flavor was slightly more pronounced when the soup had been refrigerated overnight.

Some variations for this chilled cucumber yogurt soup?

The way my creative cooking brain works is that as soon as I try a delicious new recipe like this, I start thinking of possible variations. That happens even when the recipe is adapted from a famous cookbook; I just can’t help myself. So if you wanted to make a slightly different version of this soup I think diced avocado, finely diced cooked shrimp, or even a small amount of crumbled Feta Cheese or Mexican Cotija cheese would all make interesting additions. And I definitely wouldn’t mind a bit of Ground Sumac (affiliate link) sprinkled on the finished soup!

How to Make Tarator (Chilled Cucumber Yogurt Soup)

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

Chop cucumbers, about 1/2 inch square.
Chop up fresh herbs.
Finely mince fresh garlic.
Measure out two cups of 5% milkfat Greek Yogurt.
Toast walnuts in a dry frying pan for about 2 minutes, then chop.
Set aside a small amount of cucumbers, chopped herbs, chopped walnuts, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil (for garnish).
In mixing bowl combine the cucumber, chopped herbs, minced garlic, chopped walnuts, with salt and pepper to taste.
Mix in Greek yogurt, lemon juice, one-fourth cup of the olive oil, and half and half (or dairy product of your choice.)
Stir to combine, and then thin with water until it’s as thick as you prefer.
Taste to see if you want more salt or freshly ground black pepper.
If your ingredients were cold you may not need to chill the soup before eating, but chill for a few hours if needed.
Serve cold, topped with chopped cucumber, chopped walnuts, chopped fresh herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil.
This kept well overnight in the fridge but I doubt it would last longer than two days.

Ten More Amazing Low-Carb Chilled Soups:

Ingredients

2 cups Greek Yogurt (see notes)
3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice (see notes)
2 cups chopped small or mini cucumbers
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (see notes)
1 T minced fresh garlic (or more)
1/4 cup + 2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup half and half (see notes)
1/4 cup water (as needed)
salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Chop enough small garden cucumber or small mini cucumbers to make 2 cups of chopped cucumbers, about 1/2 inch square. If your cucumbers are small or fresh from the garden you don’t need to peel them, but if you have to buy larger cucumbers from the store I would cut off all or most of the peel.
Chop up a generous 1/2 cup of fresh mint, parsley, and dill. We used a combination of all three of those herbs, but use what you have.
Finely mince about 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, more or less to taste.
Measure out two cups of 5% milk-fat Greek Yogurt
Toast walnuts in a dry frying pan for about 2 minutes, then chop.
Set aside a small amount of the cucumbers, chopped herbs, and chopped walnuts, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil (for garnish).
In a large glass or plastic mixing bowl combine the cucumber, chopped herbs, minced garlic, chopped walnuts, with salt and pepper to taste.
Mix in the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, one-fourth cup of the olive oil, and the half and half (or dairy product of your choice.)
Stir to combine, and then thin with water until it’s as thick as you prefer. (We used the full one-fourth cup of water.)
Taste soup to see if you want more salt or freshly ground black pepper.
If your ingredients were cold from the fridge you may not need to chill the soup eating it, but chill for 1-2 hours if it’s not that cold.
Serve soup cold, topped with the reserved chopped cucumber, chopped walnuts, chopped fresh herbs, and a drizzle of olive oil
This kept well overnight in the fridge but I doubt it would last longer than two days.

Notes

I used Greek Yogurt with 5% milkfat for this recipe. I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice.

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

Use half and half, heavy cream, milk, or buttermilk to thin the soup, whichever you prefer or have on hand.

Recipe adapted by Kalyn and Kara from a recipe for Tarator soup I spotted in Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking (affiliate link).

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 174Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 138mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 10g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This tasty Tarator Soup is perfect for low-carb or Keto diet plans. The higher-fat yogurt, half and half, and generous amount of olive oil would make it high in fat for the original South Beach Diet, but I bet if you’re strictly following South Beach you can make a pretty delicious version using fat-free yogurt, milk or buttermilk, and maybe a bit less olive oil.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Pinterest image for Tarator (Chilled Cucumber Yogurt Soup).

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