Cook With George: Fakies - Greek Lentil Soup "Telos"

3:30 p.m.

The lentil soup is on the stove simmering on a low heat.

I've attached the recipe below for all of you to see, but first we must taste!

Most folks like to add a little bit of vinegar to the soup before they start eating it. I do that as well. I also add a crumble of feta cheese, but that is entirely up to you. I suggest you try it first without the feta... the traditional Greek way.

5:00 p.m.

I'm stuffed.

Faki/"Fakies" Recipe

- 1 Diced Onion

- Can of Diced Tomatoes/ 3 Ripe Peeled Tomatoes

- 500 gr. of Brown Lentils

- 3 to 5 Cloves of Chopped Garlic

- 2 Bay Leaves

- 1.25+ Litres of Water

- Olive Oil

- Pinch of Sugar

- Red wine Vinegar/Oregano/Feta Cheese (optional)

Before you rinse your lentils, quickly sift through them and try to pick out anything that may look out of the ordinary. Get those defects out! Now give your lentils a good rinse. Cover them with water and boil them for about five minutes. Strain them and leave them off to the side.

In another pot or pan, heat up your olive oil and start cooking your onion and garlic. Once it starts to caramelize, add a few tbsp. of water and continue cooking until everything is nice and soft.

Now in your main pot, start heating up your tomatoes and season them with salt/pepper and a dash of sugar to cut the acidity. Once they start to cook and it looks like a sauce add your garlic and onion mixture. Then, add your lentils and about 1.25 litres of water. You'll have to add a little more water near the end of cooking if you find your "faki" to be too thick.

Bring this all to a boil, add the bay leaves and reduce to a medium-low heat. The last thing you want to do is burn it. If your stove's low level setting is hotter than average, then keep it on low. Let it simmer for about an hour (or until the lentils are fully cooked and soft).

During the last five minutes of cooking, add a tbsp. of red wine vinegar and oregano to taste.

Here's what mine looked like during the cooking process. It's nice and hearty for this cold fall evening!

Enjoy!