Lentil Soup Recipe

Lentil Soup for Thanksgiving

Are you kidding me Pinelopi? Lentil soup, really? You must think I'm insane, but each of us is serving a stubborn guest or two on Thanksgiving who refuses to eat meat. There are various reasons why folks will not conform to the traditional and tasty turkey dinner, and I say, to each his own! So today I'm offering you my Greek Lentil Soup Recipe to save you from disgrace. Kali Orexi!

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Greek Lentil Soup Recipe

Vegetarians, pious people and stubborn relatives who just want to be a pain in your rear are some of the types you'll find at your Thanksgiving table this year. Believe it or not, many Orthodox Christians are fasting now for Christmas, and have celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday with a turkey feast weeks ago. They will need something to eat today. Our Greek lentil soup recipe is so good though that it might even have the meat lovers at your table asking for a bowl.

A Little on Lentils

Beans are harvested in their natural state. Thus, even with the most careful attention and the best processing equipment available, we still must screen through the lentils closely to pick out any foreign substances such as stones, soil particles etc. Rinse the lentils with water several times before proceeding to cook them please.

Start Cooking

Boil enough water to cover the lentils before adding them to the pot. Then take the pot off the stove, and add the lentils to soak, while covering the lid for 15 minutes. Trust me, this speeds the cooking time and makes for a more fluid process. Strain the lentils and replace the initial water with 8 cups of new water for cooking. This will make up your soup. As you cook the lentils, take a spoon and skim off the top of the pot, as this will catch any remaining unsavories.

Sauté the carrots, celery and onions in one-half cup of olive oil. Sauté until the onions are translucent and carrots and celery are half-cooked. They'll cook the rest of the way later on. Then add bay leaves, minced garlic, tomato paste, salt and pepper (ingredients listed below). After a short bit (don't burn the garlic), add the mixture to the pot of lentils just as they come to a boil in their 8 cups of soup water. You can add more hot water if the soup seems to thicken too much. You can cook it to the thickness of your liking, but don't make mush please and ruin my good name in the process. Add salt and pepper to taste!

The Secret Ingredient

When serving the soup, drop a splash of vinegar to the individual bowls. A teaspoon to a tablespoon should do the trick. Sometimes I simply use the cap of the vinegar bottle as a metric. This enhances the flavor of the soup, and you control how much influence the vinegar has to your liking.

Lentil Soup Ingredients:

1 Pound Lentils
1 Medium Onion Minced
2 Stalks Celery
2 Carrots
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
½ Cup Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic Minced
2 Bay Leaves (Remove after soup cooked)
8 Cups of Water (Add More if Thickens Too Much)

Enjoy my Greek Lentil Soup Recipe and Kali Orexi!



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