Yoghurt soup recipe

Yoghurt soup is a chilled summer soup that originates from the middle east. We’ve used shop bough tzatziki instead of yoghurt as a clever hack to add extra flavour without having to buy lots of ingredients. Tzatziki is a Middle Eastern yoghurt based dip made with cucumber, garlic, herbs and lemon juice. You might have a tub of this tasty dip leftover after hosting a drinks party, and this yoghurt soup is the perfect creative way to use it! This sophisticated soup couldn’t be easier to make, and can be prepared in advance, making it the perfect choice to serve as a starter at summer dinner parties. The apricots provide the perfect sweetness to balance out tangy sumac. Sumac is a citrusy spice that is popular in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. Yoghurt soup is really popular in the Middle East, especially in Iran and Turkey. This Persian-inspired recipe is rich yet refreshing, and has so much flavour. Chilled soups, such as this Persian inspired soup, and gaspachos are a light and summery alternative to a warming winter soup, and are even easier to make! We used a Vitamix to make our yoghurt soup extra smooth, but any good quality blender should do the job.

Ingredients

• 250g Tzatziki
• 300ml iced water
• 100g walnuts
• 1 chilli, finely sliced
• 45g dried apricots, finely chopped
• 1 small bunch coriander
• 1 small bunch mint
• 1tsp sumac
• a few pinches chilli flakes, to serve
• pomegranate seeds, to garnish

Method

1. Place the tzatziki, iced water, walnuts, chilli, dried apricots, coriander, mint, and sumac in a blender (reserving a few leaves of herbs, walnuts and 1 dried apricot for garnish). Blitz well until smooth, and season to taste. Leave to chill in the fridge for 10 minutes.
2. Serve chilled, in bowls and top with a sprinkling of sumac, pomegranate seeds, chilli flakes, and the remaining dried apricot, sliced.