012Lentil soup

Method

Traditional home-style lentil soup. Traditionally served with a cruet of red wine vinegar at the table, alongside olives and salted fish.

You will need

• Medium heavy-based saucepan
• Colander
• Wooden spoon

1. Place the lentils in a pot with cold water to cover, bring to a rapid boil for 3 minutes, then drain to remove bitter tannins. 5 min Ready when: Lentils release initial dark foam and are drained
2. Return the lentils to the pot with 1.2 litres of fresh water, onion, garlic, carrot, bay leaves, and tomato paste. 2 min
3. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer gently for 25 minutes until the lentils are tender. 25 min Ready when: Lentils are tender to the bite but retain their shape
4. Pour in the extra virgin olive oil, season generously with salt and black pepper, and simmer vigorously uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes. 8 min Ready when: Soup thickens slightly and broth turns glossy
5. Stir in half of the red wine vinegar, taste to adjust seasoning, and remove the bay leaves before serving. 2 min Ready when: Broth has an appetising savoury tang

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Make ahead and storing

Keeps exceptionally well; flavours deepen overnight.

Refrigerate for up to 4 days; add a splash of boiling water when reheating as it thickens.

Substitutions

• grated fresh tomato for tomato paste. Provides a fresher, lighter acidity common during late summer months.

Common mistakes

• Using red or yellow split lentils instead of whole brown lentils.. Split lentils disintegrate into a puree, losing the traditional rustic texture expected in Greek fakes.
• Omitting the vinegar finish.. Vinegar cuts through the earthy starch of the lentils and lifts the richness of the olive oil.

Regional variants

• Fakes mouzentra (cooked down with rice, typical in Cyprus and nearby islands)
• Fakes with wild greens or celery leaves stirred in at the end

About the dish

Lentils are among the oldest cultivated crops in Greece, with archaeological finds at the Franchthi cave dating back thousands of years. In classical Athens, lentil soup was celebrated by playwrights as the quintessential food of the common citizen and philosophers. Today, fakes remains an omnipresent weekly family ritual, typically eaten on Wednesdays or Fridays during Orthodox fasting periods. The soup is distinguished by its savoury backdrop of bay leaves and garlic, finished at the table with red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

Found in all of Greece. Cooked for everyday, lent, winter.

Cousins elsewhere

• Mercimek çorbası (Turkish). The Turkish counterpart typically uses red lentils and is pureed smooth, whereas Greek fakes are brown and kept whole.
• Shorbat adas (Levantine). A regional cousin often spiced with cumin and coriander, differing from the bay-leaf-forward Greek style.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

538 kcal · protein 22.4 g · fat 24.1 g (saturated 3.4 g) · carbohydrate 61.4 g (sugars 3.8 g) · fibre 10.4 g · sodium 26 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. Pan-Hellenic home tradition with parboiling and a sharp vinegar finish..