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.
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Recipe Features
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
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions, carrot and celery and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and stir again.
2. Add the lentils and stir thoroughly - ensuring everything is coated in the olive oil.
3. Add the water, tomatoes and bay leaves.
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.
5. Serve the fakes with red wine vinegar sprinkled on each serving, a side of olives and bread.
FAQ
Consider this recipe as a base.
Here are some f.a.q's to help you make fakes like a pro.
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.
Absolutely! Replace the water with vegetable or chicken stock. It will add a deeper flavour to the fakes.
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.
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.
Related Recipes
If you love your lentils here are a few other recipes I have on my recipe site :
Video - watch how to make it
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📖 Recipe
Greek Lentil Soup - "Fakes"
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
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions, carrot and celery and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and stir again.
- Add the lentils, stir, followed by the water, tomatoes and bay leaves.
- Let the lentil soup come to a boil on medium-high heat — skim off any impurities that rise to the top —cover and then bring it down to a simmer.
- Allow the soup to cook for 45 mins.
- Serve the fakes with red wine vinegar sprinkled on each serving, a side of olives and bread.
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Souvlaki For the Soul
This post was originally published in 2010, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, tips, and FAQs in January of 2021.
Lyn
Will try it in the winter months and will let you the ingredients look good.