Cold Persian Soup
At first glance, there are many similarities with the well-known in Bulgaria tarator, but there are a few differences. Cold Persian soup is a typical Mediterranean dish, saturated with a lot of taste, aroma and textures. The basis is yogurt, fresh cucumber and aromatic mix of fresh green spices, roasted nuts and raisins. I especially like the slightly sour and citrus shade of the spice sumac. In Bulgaria you can find it for sure in the small shops on the women’s market in Sofia.
Ingredients:
- ½ tea cup cleaned walnut kernels
- 2 tea cups yogurt
- 1½ tea cups ice-cold water
- ½ large cucumber, finely diced, plus a few circles for decoration when serving
- 1 tea cup finely chopped mix of spices – parsley, basil, dill and mint
- ½ tea cup yellow raisins
- salt
- ½ tsp. sumac, plus additional if desired
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Put the walnuts on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes in the oven or until you feel the pleasant aroma of the roasted nuts. Cut them finely.
In a large bowl stir the milk and cold water. Add cucumber, herbs, raisins and roasted walnuts. Taste with salt and sumac. Cover and cool for about an hour. When finished, distribute cold soup into four bowls. Sprinkle with more sumac, add a few slices of cucumber. Serve with baked bread.
