Lentil Soup – Healthy, Cheap And Greek !

Do you like cooking Greek food?  Or you rather prefer to visit a Greek tavern?
Greece is known for its delicious cuisine, and the variety in dishes is endless. Meat, fish, vegetarian, pulses…it is all tasty.
Most Greek dishes are not that difficult to prepare, however, they are often very time-consuming.

When I cook something Greek, I prefer easy-made and healthy dishes 🙂

The “lentil soup” is one of those easy dishes, and perfect for any time during the year.
No idea what “lentil soup” exactly is?  Here a small video to get a better idea how it is prepared:

And if you are in the mood to cook yourself, then here below you can find a simple recipe, while learning some Greek words at the same time 🙂

Ingredients

½ kg lentils
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
½ teacup olive oil
1-2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt, pepper
vinegar

Method

Clean and wash the lentils. Drain them afterward.  Pour 6 teacups of water in a pot; add the lentils, the chopped onion, the garlic, the tomato paste, and the bay leaves.
Let the mixture cook gently for about ½ hour. Add the oil, the salt, pepper and a bit of vinegar. Cook the soup for another 15 minutes until it has thickened a little. Serve the soup in plates and drizzle some vinegar on top.

This dish is very tasty combined with olives and feta cheese!

Useful Vocabulary:

Οι φακές	[ee fakyes]	the lentils
μαγειρεύω	[mayeerevo]	I cook
τα όσπρια	[ta ospreeya]	the pulses
η συνταγή	[ee seentayee]	the recipe
το σκόρδο	[toe skordo]	the garlic
το κρεμμύδι	[toe kremeedee]	the onion
το λάδι	[toe ladee]	the oil (olive oil in this case)
καθαρίζω	[kathareezo]	I clean  (also used for pealing an onion)
το αλάτι	[toe alatee]	Pepper
το πιπέρι	[toe peepayree]	Salt
το ξύδι	[toe xeedee]	Vinegar
ρίχνω	[reechno]	I put/drop/throw
βράζω	[vrazo]	I boil
προσθέτω	[prostheto]	I add

When you visit Greece, you will realize that food has an important role in Greek society. Not only “eating nice things” is important, but also the way you prepare it or how you socialize at the same time.
Click here to read more about the Greek Food Culture