Faki (Greek Lentil Soup)

Recipe Summary
A traditional Greek lentil soup featuring brown or green lentils simmered with onion, garlic, celery, plum tomatoes, herbs, and olive oil, finished with red wine vinegar. Serves 10.

Ingredients

Ingredient Amount Notes
Lentils 1 lb Regular green lentils (do not use tiny French Le Puy lentils)
Warm water ~8 cups Enough to cover lentils for soaking and cooking
Onion 1 large Chopped
Garlic 2–3 cloves Chopped
Celery 2 small or 1 large stalk Finely chopped
Italian-style plum tomatoes 5–6 canned With their juices
Bay leaf 1 large
Parsley 4 sprigs
Mint, basil, or oregano To taste Chopped
Olive oil 1/3 cup Good quality
Salt To taste Season generously as lentils absorb salt
Black pepper To taste Freshly ground
Red wine vinegar 2 tbsp + extra 2 tbsp added near end of cooking; extra served on side

Instructions

  1. Soak the Lentils

    Wash and pick over the lentils. Place them in a soup pot and cover with warm water (about 8 cups). Let stand for 1 hour.

  2. Initial Simmer

    Bring the pot of lentils and water to a boil. Add the chopped onion, garlic, celery, plum tomatoes with their juices, and the bay leaf. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour.

  3. Add Oil, Herbs, and Seasonings

    Stir in the parsley, chopped herbs (mint, basil, or oregano), and olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and continue simmering for another 1.5 hours (stirring occasionally) until the soup is very thick and the lentils are tender. Stir in 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar toward the end of cooking.

  4. Serve

    Serve hot with additional red wine vinegar on the side.

Useful Notes

Serving Suggestion
Pair this soup with feta cheese, olives, a fresh salad, crusty bread, and wine.

  • Texture Adjustment: After the first hour of cooking, the soup will appear thick and stodgy, but it loosens up once the olive oil is stirred in.
  • Batching & Freezing: This recipe yields a large quantity (10 servings). It freezes very well if you want to store half for later.