Easy Greek Lentil Soup (Fakes)

Name: Easy Greek Lentil Soup (Fakes)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus extra for drizzling at the end); 1 large onion (brown or red); 2 carrots (chopped into smallish pieces); 2 sticks celery (sliced finely); 3 cloves garlic (crushed); ¾ teaspoon paprika ((optional)); 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste); ½ teaspoon pepper (or to taste ); 1 cup dried lentils (brown or green); 14 ounces diced tomatoes ((1 can)); 6 cups vegetable broth ((stock) or vegetable bouillon cubes or powder mixed with water); 2 bay leaves; vinegar (about a teaspoon per person, or to taste) ((red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar)); a little feta cheese, crumbled ((optional)); fresh bread or toast with olive oil and salt

By Helen Schofield

on Jan 20, 2024

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Millions of Greeks can’t be wrong. Every Greek family has their own version of this super easy Greek lentil soup. Otherwise known as ‘fakes’ (pronounced fak-ES), this dish can be jazzed up with one ‘secret’ ingredient. You won’t believe how delicious it is!

Overhead view of a bowl of Greek lentil soup with oregano on top on a blue background with black and white checked tea towel.

Why you’ll love it
How to eat it
About the ingredients
How to make Greek lentil soup
Helen’s top tips
Storage instructions
More Mediterranean recipes made with pantry ingredients
Easy Greek Lentil Soup (Fakes) Recipe

Why you’ll love it

Greek lentil soup (or Φακές – pronounced ‘fak-ES’ in Greek) has to be the ultimate in simple Greek comfort food. There possibly isn’t a Greek alive who didn’t grow up eating this hearty soup!

You might think a lentil soup isn’t your cup of tea, but I highly recommend that you try this Greek version anyway. When I lived in Greece, I have to be honest – I didn’t even use a recipe to make ‘fakes’! It’s that simple!

Since it uses simple, wholesome and inexpensive ingredients, it’s also a very budget friendly dish.

How to eat it

You can eat Greek style lentil soup quite thick, almost like a stew, or you can thin it out a bit more so that it’s more like a classic soup.

However you prefer to eat it, you can’t miss one thing – stirring a little splash of vinegar through before eating it! I also sometimes drizzle over some good quality olive oil and a sprinkle of feta cheese. But the vinegar is the secret ingredient that you definitely shouldn’t skip to take this humble soup from good to very delicious!

Serve with some fresh bread (try this amazing Greek bread!) or olive oil toasts if you like. If you’re serving the soup to guests, I highly recommend also serving with this quick homemade focaccia bread. It’s incredible!

Also feel free to sprinkle each bowl with a little fresh oregano or parsley (or even another fresh herb) if you happen to have it.

Fun fact

Lentils have been a part of the Mediterranean diet for centuries! They are mentioned in ancient texts, including those from ancient Greece and Rome.

About the ingredients

You’ll find a labelled photo and useful notes about the main ingredients below. Please scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredients amounts and cooking steps.

All labelled ingredients for Greek lentil soup including lentils, olive oil, carrots and celery, garlic, seasoning, bay leaves, broth, garlic, diced tomatoes and vinegar to serve.

Olive oil. Every great Greek dish starts with a generous splash of extra virgin olive oil! If you like, you can also splash a little over the lentil soup before serving.

Onion, carrots and celery. To add nutrition and extra flavor. Chop into fairly small pieces so that the veggies are perfectly tender in the same time as the lentils. A brown onion has a stronger flavor, but use what you have.

Garlic. I add 3 large cloves for plenty of garlic-y flavor.

Seasoning. Cumin, paprika, dried oregano, salt and pepper. I feel like the cumin is essential for an authentic flavor in the soup, but paprika and oregano are optional. If you have them, add them for extra classic Mediterranean flavor.

I like black pepper, but white pepper is fine, too.

Alternatively, why not make up a batch of this all-purpose seasoning to have in the pantry ready to go? Use 3 teaspoons in this recipe. Add a little cumin separately.

Bay leaves. Once again, I feel like these give authentic Greek flavor to the soup. If you don’t have any, it’s worth grabbing some before making the recipe.

Vegetable broth (or bouillon powder/stock cube + water). Can you use another type of broth/stock such as chicken or beef? Sure! Veggie broth will keep the recipe vegan, but it’s fine to use any kind of broth for extra flavor.

Diced tomatoes. Different Greek lentil soup recipes have different levels of tomato flavor in them. In some you can hardly taste any tomato, others are more tomato-y. With one can of tomatoes you can taste the tomatoes in the recipe, but not too much. Feel free to use a tablespoon or two of thick tomato paste (puree) instead if you don’t have a can of tomatoes.

Lentils. Brown or green lentils are best in this recipe. Bear in mind that the cooking time for lentils can vary slightly depending on their type, age, and size. Generally, however, they take 20 to 40 minutes to cook. Green lentils tend to take a bit longer than brown.

Vinegar and feta cheese. These are optional toppings for serving your fakes soup. I would recommend NOT skipping the vinegar. I usually go for red wine vinegar, but honestly any type of vinegar will work. Start with a small drizzle, see how you like the taste, and adjust to taste!

Note: lemon juice would work as a substitute for vinegar.

Got red lentils in the pantry? You might prefer to make this slow cooker Thai pumpkin and red lentil soup instead.

How to make Greek lentil soup

All you need to make this soup is a big heavy pot (I like cast iron) and a wooden spoon! It’s so easy to make in these few easy steps!

Step one. Sauté the chopped veggies in olive oil for a few minutes until slightly softened. Add the crushed garlic.

Chopped carrots, celery and onion in a red cast iron pan with a wooden spoon in it and a black and white tea towel at the side.

Step two. Throw in all the seasonings and stir for a minute to start releasing all the lovely flavors. Then add everything else! It’s that simple!

Lentils, spices, bay leaves, tomatoes and carrots and celery and a wooden spoon all in a red cast iron pot with a wooden spoon and black and white tea towel underneath.

Step three. After you’ve added the broth (stock), you’ll then simmer the soup for around 25 to 40 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Remember different types of lentils will take different amounts of time to cook.

All the ingredients for a Greek lentil soup ready to be cooked on the stove in a red cast iron pot with a white and black checked tea towel underneath it.

Here’s the resulting soup!

Overhead shot of Greek lentil soup in a red cast iron pot with a blue ladle in it and with a black and white checked tea towel underneath it.

Helen’s top tips

Rinse the lentils. Give the lentils a good rinse in a colander before using until the water runs clear.

How to know when the lentils are cooked. Check after 20 minutes, then every 5 minutes after that. You should be able to squash the lentils easily with a fork. In the end though it’s down to personal taste. I actually prefer my lentils to have a little ‘bite’ still. I don’t want them to be mushy.

Adjust thickness of the soup. In the photo above, you might be able to see that my ‘fakes soupa’ is quite thick – almost like a casserole or stew. I love it like this, but if you like thin it out with a bit of water. This is also a neat trick for making your soup go further if you need it to.

Add a little spice, if you like. For a spicy twist, add a pinch of chili flakes, or red pepper flakes, at the same time as the other seasonings.

Storage instructions

This traditional Greek lentil soup will keep really well in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. It’s a great option for workday lunches since it’s quick and easy to reheat it on the stove or in the microwave.

If you’d like to keep it for longer, you can also freeze it in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

A bowl of Greek lentil soup on a blue background with red pot in the background.

More Mediterranean recipes made with pantry ingredients

You can make this Greek lemon rice recipe on the stovetop, or in your pressure cooker. Enjoy for lunch with feta on top, or serve as a tasty side.

This Italian marinara sauce recipe is a fantastic one to have up your sleeve. Great for pasta night, but also to make this incredible Greek baked eggplant recipe!

Gigantes plaki (or Greek giant beans)! These are another nutritious and easy lunch option made from ingredients you already have in the pantry.

I find myself craving a classic Greek ‘horiatiki salata’ regularly, winter and summer!