Fakes is the everyday Greek lentil soup, sharpened at the table with a splash of vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil. Meatless and frugal, it is a long-standing Lenten and fasting-day dish, eaten the year round.
The lentils turn creamy at the edges while keeping a little bite, suspended in a savoury, faintly sweet tomato broth. A last-second hit of vinegar cuts the richness and wakes everything up. Eaten with bread and a salty olive, it is deeply satisfying peasant food.
Pre-boiling and draining removes bitter foam and improves digestibility. Slow simmering lets some lentils break down to thicken the broth while the rest stay whole, and the final vinegar provides acid balance against the olive oil's fat.
Variations
With diced carrot and celery, a spoon of tomato paste for depth, made soupier or thicker, finished with crumbled feta
On the Palate
Where Fakes sits in the Greek flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 5
How it's made
8 steps · 15 min
- 18 min
Rinse the lentils and bring them to a boil in water, then drain to remove foam.
Watch outThat first boil-and-drain is what takes away the grey foam and the bitter edge — don't skip it even though it feels wasteful.
- 27 min
Saute chopped onion and garlic in olive oil until soft.
- 33 min
Return the lentils to the pot with the onions, bay leaves and chopped tomato.
- 43 min
Add water to cover generously and bring to a simmer.
- 550 min
Simmer gently until the lentils are soft and the soup has thickened.
Watch outSimmer until a few lentils burst and thicken the broth while the rest stay whole — that's the body, no flour needed.
- 63 min
Season with salt, pepper and a little extra olive oil.
- 71 min
Finish each bowl with a splash of red wine vinegar.
Watch outAdd the vinegar off the heat right before serving — its sharpness lifts the whole pot, but boiling it away flattens it.
- 85 min
Serve hot with crusty bread and olives.
