Lentil Soup with Spinach

Name: Lentil Soup with Spinach (Faki Soupa me Spanaki)
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2 cups brown lentils, picked over and rinsed; ½ cup chopped onion; ⅓ cup olive oil; ½ cup grated ripe tomatoes (see Note) or canned diced tomatoes with their juice; ½ cup dry red wine; 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; ½ cup grated ripe tomatoes (see Note) or canned diced tomatoes with their juice; Salt; 4 cups Vegetable Stock or Chicken Stock; 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or pinch of crushed red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or pinch of crushed red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon dry mustard; 1 bay leaf; 4 cups Vegetable Stock or Chicken Stock; 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled; 2–3 tablespoons red wine vinegar; freshly ground black pepper; 1½ pounds spinach, stemmed; pinch of ground cumin (optional)

Faki Soupa me Spanaki

Preparation info

Makes
6 to 8
servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Foods of the Greek Islands

By Aglaia Kremezi

Published 2000

About

FOR AS long as I can remember, my mother has cooked this lentil soup once a week in the winter. Following a recipe in Theonie Mark’s book Greek Island Cooking, which contains recipes from Rhodes, I’ve added spinach leaves.

Serve with cured fish, such as smoked trout.

Ingredients

2 cups brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
⅓ cup olive oil
½ cup<

Europe
Greece
Rhodes
Soup
Vegan
Gluten-free
Winter
Mediterranean

Method

Place the lentils in a large saucepan and add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the onion over medium heat until just soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute more; do not let it color. Add the lentils, tomatoes, wine, Aleppo pepper or pepper flakes and salt to taste.