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Bulgarian Cucumber Soup With Walnuts

5.0(289)

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.

by Martha Rose Shulman·published 2009-09-28

Open original recipe

Eastern EuropeanDinner, Easy, Quick, Appetizer

Servings

Serves four

Total time

1h 30m

Calories / serving

263 kcal

Ingredients (13)

serves

2 to 4 garlic cloves to taste, peeled, green shoots removedgarlic
Salt to tastesalt
2 cups thick plain yogurt (Greek style, or drained)
2 tablespoons walnut or olive oil, or 1 tablespoon eachoil
2/3 cup (2 ounces) shelled walnuts, finely choppedwalnut
1 European cucumber, about 10 inches long, or 3 Persian cucumbers, cut in very small dicecucumber
1/2 cup ice-cold water, preferably spring waterwater
2 tablespoons lemon juicelemon-juice
Freshly ground pepperpepper
Ice cubes (optional)ice
Finely chopped walnutswalnut
Extra virgin olive oilextra-virgin-olive-oil
Finely chopped fresh dill or mintmint

Instructions (4 steps)

01Place the garlic in a mortar with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and mash to a paste.
02Place 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.