Greek lentil soup recipe (Fakes)

Name: Greek lentil soup recipe (Fakes)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 pound dried brown lentils; 6 cups water or vegetable broth (you may need to add more); 1 onion (finely chopped or grated); 2 garlic cloves (minced or whole for subtle flavor); 1 carrot (in small cubes or sliced); 2 bay leaves; ½ teaspoon ground cumin (or more to taste); 1 teaspoon sweet paprika; 4 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons wine vinegar (taste and add more to your taste); 1 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)

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Traditional Greek brown lentil soup is one of those soup recipes that appear weekly on every Greek table. This wholesome recipe is one of the easiest you'll ever make, and with the use of some simple spices, it becomes so flavorful you'll want to make it on repeat.

Two plates with Greek lentil soup, a bowl with olives and two slices of bread.

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📋 Greek Lentil Soup Ingredients
🔪 How to Make Greek Fakes
👨‍🍳 Expert Tips
🎥Recipe Video
📖 Recipe

In Greece we eat this dish mostly on Wednesdays or Fridays because according to the Orthodox tradition these days you should refrain from eating meat.

So, this soup is best served with a few slices of Greek village bread (Horiatiko), black olives and a Horiatiki salad (a.k.a Greek salad). If you follow the Mediterranean diet, you can replace the Horiatiko bread with a 100% whole wheat bread.

If you love legume recipes don't miss Greek Yellow Split Pea Puree (Fava) bbb Greek baked giant beans (Gigantes Plaki) Another delicious brown lentil recipe is this Mediterranean bulgur & lentil salad

😍 Why I love these Greek Lentils

✓ Quick and easy Greek food!

✓ Healthy dish, full of plant based protein and fiber.

✓ Simple, wholesome ingredients.

✓ Suitable for many diets: Mediterranean, Vegan, gluten-free.

📋 Greek Lentil Soup Ingredients

To make this authentic Greek brown lentil soup recipe without tomatoes, you'll need the following simple ingredients:

Brown lentils (fakes): In Greece we have 2 types of brown lentils. The large ones, called "hondres" and the smaller ones called "psiles". For this recipe the best type is the thin/small brown lentils because they have a firmer texture and hold their shape better. Large brown lentils can become mushy more easily. You can use green lentils but you may have to adjust the cooking time.

Note: This recipe will not work with red lentils or any kind of split peas. If you're searching for a red lentil recipe, try this delicious Pumpkin Soup with Coconut Milk and Red Lentils.

Vinegar: Use white or red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is also another alternative.

Spices: Sweet paprika, ground cumin, bay leaves and freshly ground black pepper. You can also use smoked paprika, red pepper flakes or even chopped fresh red bell pepper. Adding some ground turmeric will make this dish even healthier, though turmeric is not commonly used in Greek cuisine.

You can find more information about lentils in the article Everything You Need to Know About Lentils by the food and agriculture organization (fao.org).

🥣 Variations

With tomato paste: A popular variation of this brown lentil soup recipe is with tomato paste (this dish is called "fakes kokkinistes"). To make it, just a 2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste, at the same time when you add the olive oil and the vinegar.

With celery: Celery is often used in Greek bean soup and not in fakes recipe. However, if you really like it, add some fresh chopped celery along with the onion and carrot.

🔪 How to Make Greek Fakes

Follow this easy step-by-step guide to make the best Greek lentil soup every time:

1. Transfer the brown lentils to a large sieve an rinse them very well under running water.

Depending on the brand, you may also want to sort them to remove any small stones or debris. If you don't know how to do that, the article How to sort lentils by maureenabood.com is very useful.

A hand adding chopped onion in a pot with brown lentils and carrot.

2. Transfer the lentils to a large pot and add the chopped onion and the carrots, the garlic cloves, the bay leaves and the spices.

Adding water to the pot with the lentils.

3. Add the water and bring to a boil.

4. Cover the pot with the lid, reduce temperature to a gentle simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes or until al dente.

5. Add the olive oil, the vinegar and the salt. Taste and adjust the salt, the cumin and the vinegar to your liking.

6. Cook for 5-10 more minutes or until the lentils are soft but not mushy. Remove the pot form the stove and serve in bowls with fresh bread, salad and olives.

👨‍🍳 Expert Tips

✤ Add the salt at the end of cooking as this helps the lentils to soften faster.

✤ In the traditional Greek lentils recipe, the carrot is sliced. However I suggest chopping into small cubes in order to be about the same size (or a bit larger) than the lentils.

✤ Instead of finely chopping the onion, you can also grate it using the coarse side of a box grater.

🍳 What to eat lentil soup with?

Here are some Greek foods and dishes traditionally served with lentil soup:

Dakos Salad or soaked Greek barley rusks with olive oil.
100% whole wheat bread or Greek village (Horiatiko) bread
Greek cucumber tomato salad (domatosalata)
Taramasalata (Greek fish roe dip)
Canned sardines
Kalamata olives

💭 FAQs

Do I have to soak lentils for soup?

No, contrary to dried beans and chickpeas, you don't have to soak the lentils before cooking. Their small size ensures that they'll be cooked through very fast without soaking.

How long to cook lentils?

This will depend on the brand, the origin and the freshness of the lentils. If you want to add them to salads, most lentils will be ready in 20 minutes (they'll still be firm and chewy). Fos soups and stews, 30-40 minutes will be enough for te lentils to become soft but not mushy. Always taste them a bit earlier to determine if they're ready.

Why does my lentil soup taste bland?

This is probably because of the lack of salt or spices. Also, if you taste the soup early on, the starch of lentils is not yet released into the soup, so it may taste a bit bland.