'Fakes' or 'Lentil soup' is a main dish that is very present in the Greek cuisine. Together with chickpeas soup(ρεβύθια) it is one of the dishes that is believed to bear the secret to pave a way into a long, healthy life. (According to several researches).
Lentils contain a lot of fibers, calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron and are so a real must for your body (especially for woman that are in their week of periods).
Here in Greece we eat them at least once a week. With this I don't want to say that Greek woman have periods every week, though... they have character and temperament ;-).
No, as we Greeks are (very) religious, there are certain days (Wednesdays and Fridays) where we stick to simple, meatless meals. And for sure during the weeks of the several 'Lents' or 'fasting periods' that we have here throughout the entire year. (almost 180 days a year).
The best 'Fakes' of Greece are cultivated in a small village on the island of Lefkada: Egklouvi (Εγκλουβή). A combination of the perfect soil (lime stone) with the ideal weather conditions (rains in the spring) give the lentils a very specific 'sweet' taste.
Each year, on the 6th of August, this region celebrates 'The Lentil Festival' (γιορτή της φακές). People from all over the island gather here to eat, drink and dance. If you have the opportunity to be around here in this period, mark this date on you calendar. You will LOVE it!
If you want to enjoy 'Fakes' today, make sure you thought of it yesterday as you will get the best result by soaking them over night in cold water.
'Fakes' is mainly served 'hot' with some bread (both fresh and roasted) and fresh vegetables like cucumber and tomatoes. The next day, when all the ingredients have absorbed well, this soup is even tastier. So keep some for tomorrow!
Ingredients:
- 500 gr. lentils. (I prefer the Lefkada ones as they have a specific sweet taste).
- 1 liter of water.
- 150 ml. olive oil.
- 4- 5 shallots (you can also use 1 big onion but shallots don't have this sharp taste).
- 3 cloves of garlic.
- 3 carrots.
- 2 red (Florina) peppers.
- 4 tomatoes.
- 1 (not to big) potato.
- 1/2 bunch of parsley.
- 1 bay leave.
- salt.
- (black) pepper.
- 2 tablespoons of oregano.
Preparation:
- (1) Soak the lentils over night.
- (2) Cut, with a blender, the shallots, the garlic, the carrots, the peppers, the tomatoes, the potato, the parsley and the bay leave into a smooth mixture.
- (3) Put the lentils in a cooking pot.
- (4) Add the 1 liter of water.
- (5) Add the smooth mixture in the cooking pot.
- (6) Boil the 'Fakes', shortly, on a high fire, for about 10 minutes.
- (7) Bring on taste with salt and pepper.
- (8) Cook the 'Fakes', on a gentle (low) fire, for another 60 minutes.
- (9) Take the 'Fakes' of the fire.
- (10) Add the olive oil.
- (11) Add the oregano.Finally:
- Serve the 'Fakes' with bread and fresh vegetables like cucumber and tomatoes.
- If you want a deeper taste, add a tablespoon (or 2) of white wine vinegar. (I prefer the Paros one as it has a very pure taste).
Enjoy!