Armenia's warming yogurt soup — strained yogurt (matzun) thickened with bulgur or rice, whisked with egg to prevent curdling, then simmered with sautéed onion, mint, dill, and cilantro. Hot in winter, chilled in summer — the universal Armenian household soup that's both nourishing and gentle on the stomach.
Spas (also called tanapur or tanabour) is the universal Armenian yogurt-based soup, sharing heritage with Turkish yayla çorbası, Greek avgolemono, and Persian ash-e mast. The technique — tempering yogurt with egg to prevent curdling, then thickening with grain — is centuries old. Each Armenian household has its own version: some lean on more bulgur, others on more rice, and rural cooks add fresh herbs straight from the garden. The dish is the everyday lunch soup, the soup prepared for the sick, and the after-baby recovery food. As the Armenian saying goes, 'lentil soups are for fasting days, yogurt soups are for feasting days' — because in the Armenian Apostolic Lenten fast all animal products, including dairy and eggs, are forbidden, spas (made with both) is not a fasting dish but a feast-day and everyday nourisher.
Spoon up warm spas — pale-ivory creamy soup with bulgur grains visible, swirled with golden butter, herbs sparkling. First sip: silky tang from the yogurt, the mint's coolness lifts the back, dill and cilantro add fresh-herbal notes, bulgur provides satisfying chew, the egg-thickened texture is rich without being heavy. Hot on a winter morning, this is the Armenian household comfort food at its most-essential. Cold on a summer afternoon, it's lighter than gazpacho and twice as nourishing.
Tempering yogurt with egg + flour is the key to preventing curdling. Egg yolks contain lecithin (emulsifier) that stabilizes the yogurt proteins; the flour creates a starch network that holds everything in suspension. Stirring constantly in ONE direction prevents protein strand breakage. The temperature must stay below 90°C (just-simmering, not boiling) — boiling triggers irreversible protein coagulation. Bulgur absorbs the savory liquid and contributes texture without diluting the yogurt's tang.
Variations
Cold spas (summer) is chilled and served with ice cubes — like a savory Armenian gazpacho. Rice spas uses white rice instead of bulgur — easier on stomach. Yerevan spas adds chickpeas. Wedding spas uses double yogurt and is much thicker. Lenten spas (vegetarian/dairy-only) is the standard preparation. Modern Yerevan restaurant spas adds a swirl of paprika oil for color.
On the Palate
Where Spas sits in the Armenian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
10 steps · 40 min active + 20 min waiting
- 122 min
Soak 80 g bulgur (or coarse cracked wheat) in 200 ml warm water 20 min until plumped. Drain.
- 25 min
In a large bowl, whisk together 1 kg plain whole-milk yogurt (or Greek yogurt thinned with water) + 2 eggs + 50 g all-purpose flour + 600 ml cold water + 1.5 tsp salt. Whisk until completely smooth — no lumps.
- 32 min
Pour the yogurt mixture into a heavy pot. Add the drained bulgur.
- 44 min
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon in one direction. The mixture should never boil — it will curdle if it does.
Watch outKeep it at the barest shiver, never a rolling boil — the moment it bubbles hard the yogurt splits into grainy curds and won't come back.
- 528 min
Cook 25-30 min on low heat, stirring constantly, until the bulgur is tender and the soup has thickened to a creamy consistency.
Watch outStir the same direction the whole time and cook it down until it coats the spoon like cream — that's when the bulgur's soft and the flour has bodied the soup.
- 68 min
While the soup cooks, prepare the herb-onion finish: in a small pan, melt 3 tbsp butter. Add 1 finely-chopped onion; cook 6 min until soft and translucent. Add 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint, cook 1 min more. Set aside.
- 72 min
When the soup is creamy, stir in the herb-onion mixture.
- 82 min
Taste; adjust salt. Add 2 tbsp finely-chopped fresh dill and 2 tbsp fresh cilantro.
- 93 min
Serve hot in deep bowls. Garnish with a drizzle of the butter from the herb-pan, a sprinkle of dried mint, and chopped fresh dill.
- 101 min
Or serve cold: chill completely and add ice cubes — the summer version.
