Greek Lentil Soup (Fakes)

211 Reviews
  • Prep: 20 min
  • Cook: 1 hr
  • Ready In: 1 hr 20 min

“Fakes (pronounced 'Fah-kehs') is a staple in the Greek kitchen, and an especially filling meal. It is traditionally served with a drizzle of olive oil and lots of vinegar. Though the vinegar is of course optional, try it. It lifts the lentils and adds another dimension of flavor!” - by Diana Moutsopoulos

Ingredients

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Original recipe yields 4 servings

Directions

  1. Place lentils in a large saucepan; cover with 1 inch of water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; cook for 10 minutes, then drain lentils into a strainer.
  2. Dry saucepan, pour in 1/4 cup olive oil, and place 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.
  3. Stir in tomato paste and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until the lentils have softened, 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add additional water if the soup becomes too thick. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and red wine vinegar to taste.

Nutrition

Amount Per Serving (4 total)

  • Calories
  • 357 cal
  • 18%
  • Fat
  • 15.5 g
  • 24%
  • Carbs
  • 40.3 g
  • 13%
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Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

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Reviews (211)

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Diana Moutsopoulos
440

Diana Moutsopoulos

"As the author of this recipe, I'd like to respond to some recent reviews. Indeed, this is a simple soup born out of generations that lived simply and were lucky if they had meat once every six months...." See more The light and simple flavors are meant to be savored, and the vinegar at the end is imperative - it really adds a much needed dimension of flavour to the soup, and I'd never eat the soup without the vinegar! I use red wine vinegar. *** Also, someone commented on the soup not being healthy - with 1 tablespoon of olive oil per serving, and under 15 grams of (healthy) fat, I don't see how it could be considered otherwise! Anyone who knows anything about the revered Mediterranean diet knows that one of its virtues is olive oil as the main source of (healthy) fat. Skip the drizzle of olive oil at the end (which I often do) if you're scared of too much fat. *** Finally, for those who don't like rosemary, feel free to skip it - not everyone in Greece uses rosemary when making Fakes. Thanks and enjoy!"

Ligia
68

Ligia

"My whole family loved this soup, even the two picky teenagers. Don't be shy when adding the vinegar it defiantly needed it. Delicious!..." See more"

smartcookie
64

smartcookie

"My husband's family is Greek and his mom used to make this--I'm glad to have the recipe, the red wine vinegar really adds an incredible depth to the flavor--my husband loved it. thanks..." See more"

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