I don’t like making New Year’s resolutions but I know that I am back to healthy cooking again and I’ll try to keep cooking as healthy as possible. After all that butter which was consumed during December and gaining a few kilos, I haven’t yet made anything sweet this month and although I am not on a diet at least I am back to cooking more vegetables and legumes and trying to keep calories low.
This is one of the recipes I cook very often during cold days. During summer I prefer to make the Cypriot recipe called Fakes Moutzentra. You may find the Greek traditional soup recipe together with the Cypriot recipe and although I have taken photos of the soup several times, I never updated my Cypriot post to add the photos and unfortunately they were lost, with many others.
I cooked this soup a few days ago and this is a twist to my traditional Greek recipe.
Fakes Soupa (Greek Lentil Soup)
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: about 1 hour
Serves: 4 - 5
ΙNGREDIENTS
- 250 grams brown lentils
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 1 medium potato, diced
- 2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and grated
- 1 sprig of celery
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 750 ml of water (about 3 glasses)
- salt and pepper to taste
- A pinch of dried oregano
DIRECTIONS
Check if there are any small stones in the lentils and after cleaning them put them in a sauce pan and cover them with water.
Bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes. Drain lentils in a strainer and set aside.
Wash saucepan and dry or use a new one and heat the olive oil and sauté the onions and the garlic until translucent. Add the vegetables, the grated tomato, the bay leaves, salt pepper and oregano as well as the vinegar and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, checking at regular intervals so that potato may not stick to the bottom of the saucepan. Add lentils and simmer covered for about 30 minutes until soup is ready and to the desired thickness.
Serve hot with Greek Kalamata olives and bread (in moderation).
I am sending this hearty soup to No Croutons Required, hosted by Lisa, of Lisa’s Vegeterian Kitchen.
I am also sending it to Deb, of Kahakai Kitchen, hosting Souper Sundays.
On the way to My Legume Love Affair - Seventh Helping host by Srivalli, Event created by Susan, of The Well- Seasoned Cook.
Tags: Dried legumes, Ladera, Nistisimo, Soups, Vegetables, Vegetarian
January 18th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Very healthy Ivy and quite tasty too! I know what you mean about those unwanted Xmas kilos!
January 18th, 2009 at 10:48 am
Thanks for the lovely entry Ivy..that really looks yummy!
January 18th, 2009 at 11:49 am
It looks delicious and healthy! Yummy!
Cheers,
Rosa
January 18th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Looks good, Ivy, especially with the hunk of bread and bowl of olives!
January 18th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Ah yes, fakes are a standard meal in every Greek household. We have at least once a week. They really do make for an excellent and healthful meal.
January 18th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
One of my favorites Ivy, and luckily one of my children’s favorites as well. Both my Giagiades, my mom and I have always made it the way you have with plenty of onion, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaf, a bit of tomato and a little vinegar to round things out at the end. I like your addition of potato as it makes the soup a bit heartier.
January 18th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Bookmarked this recipe!
January 18th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
I used to not like fakes as a child (or so I thought) but I LOVE them now. It’s one of my favorite soups! Looks great, Ivy and very healthy! I haven’t technically baked sweets either, but last night I remembered some frozen chocolate chip cookie balls I had saved, and baked them. lol!
January 18th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
This soup looks yummy and delicious and really filling too.
Wish i had that bowl , it is really cold here.
January 18th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Oh good, I have lots of lentils to use and pretty much all the other ingredients too. I’m going to have to make this soup!
January 18th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Thanks for this tempting entry Ivy. I was looking forward to your submission and you did not disappoint!
January 18th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
I could use a big bowl of this right now to warm me up from the inside out after a walk around the neighbourhood..it is winter afterall:D
January 19th, 2009 at 12:00 am
A lovely soup full of flavours. I’m sure a good olive oil must give it a wonderful flavour. I recently discovered kalamata olives and love thei flavour better than many other black olives I find here. Isd there something important about the name one should know? Or is it just the region from where it comes? thanks!
January 19th, 2009 at 12:21 am
A very hearty, warming looking soup Ivy.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:30 am
Ivy this is a lovely soup! A bowlful with some fresh rustic bread to dunk in it! Beautiful!
January 19th, 2009 at 1:29 am
What a delicious, warm and comforting soup!
January 19th, 2009 at 1:54 am
What a gorgeous soup! I love lentils and this sounds so good and healthy too. Thanks for sharing it on Souper Sundays! The post is up and your soup looks perfect.
Aloha,
Deb
January 19th, 2009 at 8:15 am
Hola Ivy. Another wonderful soup to add to my collection. Seems like I eat soup 90 percent of the time during the winter. And I will most certainly have to try this one. Sounds absolutely delicious. Thank you my friend.
January 19th, 2009 at 8:39 am
Thank you for your lovely comments.
P.G. I am glad that you enjoy Kalamata olives. Kalamata is a region in Greece, famous for its production of olives and olive oils. In particular the Kalamata olive is often known as the Greek olive, and is distinct in taste and appearance from most green and black olives. When Kalamata olives are not used for olive oil, which is a fairly common use, they are normally brined, packed in olive oil or pickled in wine vinaigrette.
January 19th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
What a lovely soup, Ivy!! We’ve been shoveling so much that there are snow drifts at the foot of our driveway which are 7 feet high - yesterday I would have KILLED for a bowl of lentil soup. Also, your bread looked really, really good. Was it homemade?
January 19th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Wow warm, comforting and yummy soup…..
January 19th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
I know what you mean by healthy cooking, Ivy. Its nice to get back to regular food after calorie overloads.
This looks and sounds a lot like the “dals” we make in India. They’re very tasty, filling and comforting.
January 19th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
This is the third soup I’ve come across today. No that I’m complaining…in fact, the more, the merrier…we adore soups
January 20th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Always loved Fakkes, always will. That’s how I eat it…psomi, elies and maybe some toursi.
January 22nd, 2009 at 10:29 am
Wow wat healthy soup..just love anything with lentils..yummy soup..
January 23rd, 2009 at 1:33 am
This lentil soup looks really hearty and delicious…
February 15th, 2009 at 11:23 am
Hello Ivy, Oooo this is what we need on this cold windy … I am making your recipe tonight!