Fakesoupa | Comfort Greek Style

Come rains and I think about soups. Nothing can beat the comfort provided by soups on rainy night. Though tomato is a regular favourite, I try to make something or other always. This time is the Greek style lentil soup - "Fakes" soup adapted from Souvlaki For the Soul. An easy to make simple yet perfect with brown lentils, basic stock and spices and drizzle of red wine vinegar and Olive oil to round it off.

Ingredients:

Whole Brown Lentils (whole masoor dal): 1.25 cups

Onion: 1 finely chopped ~ 1 cup

Carrot: 1 finely chopped ~ 1 cup +

Garlic: 3 medium cloves finely chopped

Dried Bay Leaves:1-2 big leaves or 1 tsp as per taste

Dried Oregano: 2 tsp

Water: 4 cups +  as needed

Tomato Puree : 1 cup 

Tomato Paste : 1 tbsp

Salt & Pepper: as per taste

Red Wine Vinegar + Extra Virgin olive oil: for drizzling

Parsley: for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

In a deep pan saute onion, garlic and carrot in little olive oil till transparent.

Stir in the picked, washed and drained lentils. Add in the rest of the ingredients except oil and vinegar and bring to boil on medium heat.

Reduce to simmer and let it cook for 30 minutes or more until the lentils are cooked yet the teexture is to our taste and the flavours mingled well. 

Serve garnished with red wine vinegar and extra evoo and fresh parsley.

If you find the time too much, you can use precooked lentils and add them to the onions and thus reduce the cooking time. If you don't have tomato paste, then add more tomato puree based on your tanginess quotient.

Greek oregano is much preferred in this though you can go for the regular Italian one like I did. Taste will be slightly different in this case. But still the soup was great and we lapped it up. 

You can play around the ingredients and add small pasta, potatoes, choice of herbs etc.