Fakes Traditional Greek Lentil Soup Food

GREEK LENTIL SOUP RECIPE (FAKES SOUPA)

Steps:

• To prepare this Greek lentil soup recipe, start by washing the lentils thoroughly and let them soak in water for about 2 hours. If you like, you can skip this process by adding them into a deep pan along with some water and place over high heat. As soon as they come to the boil, drain them into a colander.
• Place a pan over medium-low heat and add the lentils, the water (warmed), the chopped onions, the chopped garlic and the bay leaves. Simmer with the lid on for about 25 minutes.
• Pour in the olive oil and the red wine vinegar, and season well with salt and pepper. If you prefer your Greek lentil soup to be 'reddened', then add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste.
• Boil the lentil soup for another 15 minutes, until it thickens and check out if they are done; keep in my mind that different kinds of lentils cook at different times.
• Serve this delicious Greek lentil soup with a splash of red wine vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil. Top with some crumbled feta cheese and enjoy!

GREEK LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse the lentils and drain well.
• In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and the garlic. Sauté for 1-2 min.
• Add the carrots and celery and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
• Stir and add the lentils, smashed tomatoes (you can also smash the tomatoes with your spoon after you add them in) and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil for 1-2 min.
• Lower the heat to the minimum. Cover the pot and simmer for 60-90 minutes. Cooking time depends on the kind of lentils you are using. I am using green lentils that require longer cooking. Check lentils often until they have the desired texture. Adjust liquids too, you might need to add a little water or stock to achieve your desired soup consistency).
• Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
• Serve lentils in bowls with a slight sprinkle of red hot chili pepper flakes, a 1 tbsp olive, a tbs of red wine vinegar (optional) and warm crusty bread on the side.

FAKES (TRADITIONAL GREEK LENTIL SOUP)

Steps:

• Boil one glass of water and add the lentils. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then drain the lentils. That way the soup is lighter!
• Put in the pot enough warm water and add the lentils. Put the onion, the bay leaves, the garlic and the tomato paste. Boil in high heat with the lid on for 10 minutes. Add the oil, salt and pepper to taste. Keep boiling for 30 minutes.

GREEK LENTIL SOUP (FAKES)

Steps:

• Place lentils in a large saucepan; add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring water to a boil and cook for 10 minutes; drain.
• Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and carrot; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in lentils, 1 quart water, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Stir in tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils have softened, 30 to 40 minutes. Add additional water if the soup becomes too thick. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and red wine vinegar to taste.

GREEK LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Place the dried lentils in a large bowl. Sort through and remove any shriveled up lentils. Pour cold water over to cover lentils and let stand at least two hours. Pour off water and rinse.
• Clean the garlic and thinly dice; chop the onion and thinly slice the carrots. Place the vegetables in a large stock pot with the olive oil and sauté for 7 to 8 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and lentils.
• Pour in water and add seasonings. Turn heat to medium high and bring to a rolling boil, stirring frequently. Cover and turn heat to medium low and cook for two hours, stirring occasionally.
• Serve with a tossed green salad for a healthy, protein packed meal!
• Serves 6 to 8.

GREEK LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Wash and pick over the lentils, and put them in a large soup pot with the water and bay leaves. Bring them to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
• Prepare the onions, celery and carrots, and sauté them in the olive oil until soft and slightly browned in spots. Add them to the lentils when the lentils are getting tender; after about 30 minutes of cooking.
• Dissolve the tomato paste in some of the soup water, and mix it into the soup. Add the salt, pepper and oregano.
• Cook the pasta in plenty of salted, boiling water until almost tender. Drain and add to the soup.
• Wash the Swiss chard well, and shred it finely. Add it to the soup, and simmer until the pasta is tender and the chard is bright green.
• If soup appears to be too dry at this time, add more liquid. (This should be a thick, stew-like soup, but, if heat is too high, there may be too much evaporation).
• When the soup is fully cooked, stir in 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste.

GREEK LENTIL SOUP (FAKI)

Steps:

• Prepare the lentils: Lentils are harvested by machine so often they come with small rocks and irregular looking beans that you do not want in your soup. To check the lentils, pour them in small batches onto a plate so they are able to spread out. Give them a quick look over, remove any foreign objects, and dump them into a bowl. Repeat until you have checked all of your lentils. Then fill the bowl with cold water and rinse your lentils 2-3 time to remove any dust or bean skins. Throw the lentils into a big soup pot.
• Dice your carrots and celery and throw them into the pot as well.
• Add 2 boxes of stock to the pot and put the soup on a high heat until it boils and then reduce to medium. Cook for 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are done.
• To finish the soup, turn the heat to low. Now add the oregano and salt and pepper to taste. The soup is finished with a liberal addition of red wine vinegar, which adds an important top note to the soup. We often add it to the soup and then have the vinegar on the table to allow folks to add additional vinegar to their liking.
• Optional Ingredients: Over the years I have tried out other Faki recipes. Here are my favorite additions from those experiments. The bulgur bulks up the soup into more of a stew. Despite how successful the soup can be if you add some (or all) of thee additions, I still most often stick with the basic soup. To add the additions, the tomatoes, spinach, garlic, and/or bulgur wheat goes in at the same time as the stock. The additional spices go in during the seasoning phase.

GREEK LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• In a large stock pot, heat the oil and saute garlic, celery, onions, and carrot until veggies are tender.
• Add the water, stock, and the rinsed lentils.
• Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.
• Add the tomatoes, along with the juice in the can, as well as the chopped herbs, and salt and pepper.
• Stir in the spinach and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes more.
• Re-check seasoning before serving.