Greek Green Lentil Soup (Fakes)
4 servings
60 minutes
Fakes is a traditional Greek soup that has been a staple of Mediterranean cuisine for centuries. It embodies simplicity and richness of flavor: tender green lentils provide density, while aromatic spices like coriander and sage create a spicy harmony. Vegetable broth and tomato paste add rich tones, and cream makes the texture softer. Fakes is valued for its nutrition and heartiness, often served with crusty bread and olives. In Greece, this soup is considered a symbol of home comfort and hospitality. Its warming taste is perfect for cold evenings, and the benefits of lentils make it popular among health-conscious eaters.
1
Rinse the lentils, add water 4 cm above the level of the grains, and cook on low heat for 15 minutes.
- Green lentils: 200 g
2
Meanwhile, peel the onion, dice it, peel and crush the garlic with the flat side of a knife, peel the carrot, cut it lengthwise into 4 parts and slice it.
- Red onion: 2 heads
- Garlic: 5 clove
- Carrot: 4 pieces
3
Heat oil (preferably olive) in a pan, sauté onion and garlic, then add carrot, sprinkle with sugar, and add coriander and sage. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
- Vegetable oil: 5 tablespoon
- Red onion: 2 heads
- Garlic: 5 clove
- Carrot: 4 pieces
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon
- Coriander seeds: 0.5 teaspoon
- Dried sage: 0.5 teaspoon
4
Add hot broth to the lentils, salt it, then add tomato paste, vegetables from the pan and cook everything over medium heat for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are soft.
- Vegetable broth: 300 ml
- Salt: to taste
- Tomato paste: 2 tablespoons
- Red onion: 2 heads
- Garlic: 5 clove
- Carrot: 4 pieces
5
Five minutes before the cooking ends, we check for salt, add more if needed, then add black pepper.
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
6
Remove the soup from the heat, garnish with cream, and serve.
- Cream 35%: 3 teaspoons