Lentil soup

A delicious traditional recipe from Greece that comforts us all winter long.

Ingredients

•    Two spoons. tablespoon of olive oil, more fillet
•     2 red onions, chopped
•     3 garlic cloves, crushed
•     450g brown lentils (raw weight)
•     1.5 l vegetable stock
•     2 bay leaves
•     2 sprigs of rosemary
•     1 spoon. tomato concentrate soup
•     200g canned chopped tomatoes and their juice
•     1 or 2 spoon. soup of red wine vinegan
•     crumbled feta, to sprinkle (optional)

Preparation

1. Fries the onions for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add garlic and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes, without colouring.
2.     Meanwhile, put the lentils in another saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then drain in a colander.
3.     Add the lentils to the pan containing the onions and garlic, then 1 litre of vegetable stock and herbs. Stir in tomato paste and tomatoes, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, adding broth if necessary, until lentils are tender and soup is thick. Add 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, then salt and pepper to taste. If desired, add an extra 1 tablespoon.
4.     Pour into bowls, drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.
5.     If desired, crumble feta on soup before tasting.

Tips: For authentic flavour and texture, use small brown lentils from Greece. Small green lentils also do the trick; on the other hand, avoid coral lentils from Syria, as they crash when cooked. Lenses do not require prior soaking; however, it is best to rinse them under cold water before cooking and sorting them to remove any gravel or impurities.

Variation: Add fresh spinach 5 minutes before the end of cooking. Scent the soup with cumin or ground coriander. Top with parsley or chopped coriander. Add a little lemon juice just before serving or serve with lemon wedges.