Fakes soupa

Name: Fakes soupa
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Greece
Ingredients: 350 g brown or green lentils, rinsed; 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced (including the pale inner leaves); 1 large onion, finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced; 1 medium carrot, diced; 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve; 2 bay leaves; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 1.2 litres water; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste; 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, to finish

Greek lentil soup with celery, olive oil, and bay: the everyday soup of the Greek table

Origin: Greece

From the journey of Celery.

Fakes soupa (φακές σούπα) is one of the oldest and most enduring soups in Greek cuisine, a simple brown lentil soup cooked with olive oil, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and celery that appears on every Greek table from ancient times to the present. The ancient Greeks called the plant selinon (σέλινον) and valued it as both a medicinal herb and a culinary seasoning; Athenian athletes received garlands of celery alongside laurel at the Nemean and Isthmian Games, and the plant's bitter, aromatic character was considered fortifying and purifying. The lentil was one of the most fundamental foods of the ancient Greek diet, and the combination of lentils with celery, recorded in various forms across two and a half thousand years of Greek cooking, is one of the oldest continuous food pairings in Western cuisine. Today, fakes soupa is a cornerstone of Greek home cooking, made through Lent (when meat is avoided), eaten throughout the cold months, and finished with a generous splash of red wine vinegar, the classic Greek contrast of acid against earthy legumes that elevates the dish from simple to deeply satisfying.

Ingredients

Legume

350 g brown or green lentils, rinsed

Celery

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced (including the pale inner leaves)

Base

1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1 medium carrot, diced

Fat

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve

Aromatics

2 bay leaves
1 tbsp tomato purée

Liquid

1.2 litres water

Herb

1 tsp dried oregano

Seasoning

1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Finish

2 tbsp red wine vinegar, to finish

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 8 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, carrot, and celery and cook for another 3 minutes.
Add the tomato purée and stir for 1 minute. Add the lentils, bay leaves, oregano, and water. Bring to a boil.
Reduce to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 25–30 minutes until the lentils are completely tender and beginning to break down. Stir occasionally.
Season generously with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust.
Serve in deep bowls. At the table, each person splashes a generous amount of red wine vinegar over their bowl and drizzles with extra olive oil.

Notes

Fakes soupa thickens considerably as it sits: it will become quite dense by the next day. Reheat with a splash of water to return to a soup consistency. The soup is better the following day, when the flavours have deepened. Greek families often make a large pot on Friday (a traditional fasting day) to last through the weekend. Olives, crusty bread, and sharp feta are the traditional accompaniments.

The Gastrographer

Mapping Culinary History

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control