Greek Lentil Soup - "Fakes" - Souvlaki For The Soul

Name: Greek Lentil Soup - "Fakes"
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 onion (finely diced); 2 carrots (finely diced); 2 celery stalks (finely diced); 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped); 250 grams brown lentils (rinsed and washed off any debris); 250 ml tomatoes (puréed/grated/canned); 1 litre water (can substitute with stock); 2 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon pepper; red wine vinegar (to serve)

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Greek lentil soup - or "fakes" in Greek (pronounced fah-khes) - is a traditional Greek vegan soup served in many Greek homes.

It's simple to prepare and makes a perfect quick lunch.

Serve it with some salty olives and make sure you have plenty of bread to make it a complete Greek meal.

two bowls of lentil soup served on a white table with a side of olives and bread

Table of Contents

Recipe Features
Ingredients
Instructions
FAQ
Related Recipes
📖 Recipe

Recipe Features

a bowl of soup on a white rustic table served with olives and vinegar

Once you get over the pronunciation 😲 (a bi-lingual joke that one!) Greek lentil soup is as simple as it gets.

It's a humble offering borne from times of poverty when meat was hard to come by.

Lentils are a perfect substitute, providing energy and sustenance.

Adding red wine vinegar is optional; however, it does provide a tangy hit of extra flavour.

Traditionally, this Greek lentil soup is served with olives and sometimes cured herring and slices of raw onion.

These simple side dishes add to the whole experience.

Trust me on this!

Related: Try my carrot and orange soup for something different

Ingredients

These are the ingredients for the basic recipe:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
250 grams brown lentils, rinsed and washed off any debris
250 ml tomatoes (puréed/grated/canned)
1-litre water (can substitute with stock)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
red wine vinegar, to serve
olives, to serve

Instructions

stirring chopped onions, celery and carrot with olive oil in a pot

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Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions, carrot and celery and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and stir again.

sautéing carrots, onion, celery and lentils in a large soup pot

2. Add the lentils and stir thoroughly - ensuring everything is coated in the olive oil.

pouring water into a pot filled with carrots, celery, onion and lentils

3. Add the water, tomatoes and bay leaves.

a pot of lentil soup with 2 bay leaves floating on top

4. Let the lentil soup come to a boil on medium-high heat - skim off any impurities that rise to the top - and then bring it down to a simmer. Allow the soup to cook for 45 mins.

pouring red wine vinegar over lentil soup

5. Serve the fakes with red wine vinegar sprinkled on each serving, a side of olives and bread.

FAQ

a bowl of soup on a white table served with olives and bread

Consider this recipe as a base.

Here are some f.a.q's to help you make fakes like a pro.

Can I use other types of lentils for this soup?

Use brown lentils. Don't use the red variety as they will get mushy. If you're short on time, canned lentils work a treat too! Cook for 15-20 mins.

Can I use stock instead of water?

Absolutely! Replace the water with vegetable or chicken stock. It will add a deeper flavour to the fakes.

Can I use different herbs and spices?

Yes. Add a teaspoon of cumin for extra "oomph" - it pairs beautifully with this soup. Likewise, consider adding some chilli for spice. Rosemary and Greek oregano also work wonders.

How can I take this soup to the "next level"?

I'll let you in on a secret - If you want to get "extra fancy", drizzle a little truffle oil over the soup, just as you serve it.