Meet tarator, tzatziki’s lighter, more flexible cousin

To serve tarator as a refreshing starter soup, thin out the yogurt with water and dice the cucumber to your desired consistency. You can go for a chunky or fine dice, or even blend the ingredients into a frothy soup and serve in a glass. Courtesy of M. Eileen Brown

Is it soup or is it salad? Could it be a sauce, too?

In the Balkans, this chilled dish is called tarator — a refreshing cold cucumber and yogurt concoction especially popular in Bulgaria and North Macedonia.

It’s refreshing, versatile and possibly one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever try.

Think of it as a cousin to tzatziki, the Greek condiment we love to slather on gyros and kebabs, but a bit lighter and even more flexible.

Chop the cukes on the larger side and cut down the liquid and you have the perfect summer side sa