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 Greek
Lentil Soup (Fakés)
Serves
6-8
(recipe from our managing editor, Dr A Kouris-Blazos)
This
soup is a meal in itself - it can be eaten
in place of a red/white meat meals if desired.
Tip:
this recipe is very easy but it takes a
couple of hours of simmering on the stove
till it is cooked; try cooking it the night
before - it keeps well in the fridge for
1-2 days, alternatively you can freeze it.
This soup is also nutritional value for
money - it is an excellent meat alternative
and you will feed an entire family or group
of people for well under $10.
Ingredients
- 1 cup green or brown lentils (green
lentils are softer in texture and flavour)
- 2.5 litres cold water
- 1 large celery stick + leaves, finely
chopped
- 1 small carrot, finely chopped
- 1 small zucchini, finely chopped
- 1/2 red capsicum, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded pumpkin or sweet potato
(optional)
- 1 cup shredded cabbage (optional)
- 1 X 400g can chopped tomatoes (e.g.
La Gina) (if soup is not 'tomatoey' enough
add a heaped tablespoon of tomato paste)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 3 bay leaves (remove at end of cooking)
- black pepper
- 2 massel vegetable stock cubes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (at the end
of cooking)
- iodised salt (at the end of cooking
according to taste)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (added
at the end of cooking)
- 2 tablespoons vinegar (e.g. balsamic)
OR 1 teaspoon of cumin
- Accompaniments: bread, olives, fetta,
sardines, wine
Method
- Put lentils in 2.5 litres of water and
place on stove on low heat
(if you add lentils to boiling water it
will make the lentils tough)
- Chop all raw vegetables finely and add
to simmering lentils in pot.
- Simmer soup for 30 minutes then add
tomato, parsley, garlic, pepper, stock
cubes. (It's best to add tomato/stock
cubes towards the end of cooking because
these tend to 'toughen' the lentils)
- Simmer for a further 1-2 hours or until
lentils are tender.
- Add olive oil and oregano at end of
cooking to the pot
(this will retain antioxidants in the
oil and oregano) OR drizzle olive oil
on the surface of the soup once served
in bowls (this is the traditional Greek
way to serve the soup). You may wish to
add some iodised salt at this point.
- If soup is too chunky (e.g. for your
kids) or too "watery" use a
hand blender to blend the soup for a couple
of seconds to thicken it.
- Finally, add vinegar to soup in pot
and stir through - this will give the
soup its characteristic tang. If you prefer
a spicy flavour, add some cumin to the
soup instead of vinegar.
- Serve with wholegrain toasted bread.
For an absolutely complete "Greek"
meal accompany soup with olives, reduced
fat fetta, sardines and a glass of wine.
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