Reviewed: Nov. 24, 2009

I have made this several times and it is WONDERFUL!! My boyfriend is from Athens and he is always talking about his grandmothers cooking. I made this soup for him and he absolutely loved it. So did the rest of our friends! =) He likes a LOT of olive oil so I increased the amount of oil. I also love to use Cavendar's Greek Seasoning. It adds a really nice touch. I love this soup because it tastes so good and it is really healthy too. It's also very inexpensive to make. AWESOME recipe Diana. Thanks so much. I brought a little bit of grandma back with this one! =)

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koukla

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Bakersfield, California, USA

Living In: Holiday, Florida, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 17, 2009

YUM!!! excellent soup. Tried it with both red wine and white wine vinegar (prefer the white) Simple, hardy lentil soup.

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Sasha63

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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Reviewed: Oct. 30, 2009

I've made this twice! It was great both times. The second time I added balsamic vinegar, a dash of cayenne pepper, and some all spice while it was simmering. We added a dash of hot sauce to our individual bowls too. This gave it quite a kick. Thanks!

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BaltimoreB

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Reviewed: Oct. 22, 2009

As the author of this recipe, I'd like to respond to some recent reviews. Indeed, this is a simple soup born out of generations that lived simply and were lucky if they had meat once every six months. The light and simple flavors are meant to be savored, and the vinegar at the end is imperative - it really adds a much needed dimension of flavour to the soup, and I'd never eat the soup without the vinegar! I use red wine vinegar. *** Also, someone commented on the soup not being healthy - with 1 tablespoon of olive oil per serving, and under 15 grams of (healthy) fat, I don't see how it could be considered otherwise! Anyone who knows anything about the revered Mediterranean diet knows that one of its virtues is olive oil as the main source of (healthy) fat. Skip the drizzle of olive oil at the end (which I often do) if you're scared of too much fat. *** Finally, for those who don't like rosemary, feel free to skip it - not everyone in Greece uses rosemary when making Fakes. Thanks and enjoy!

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Diana Moutsopoulos

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA

Living In: London, Greater London, England, U.K.

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Reviewed: Oct. 15, 2009

Didnt know what to expect and liked it. Lentils are so good for you, tasty meat alternative meal.

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marie22

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Reviewed: Oct. 13, 2009

Easy, inexpensive, filling, and delicious. Even my husband ate this, and he is a super picky eater. Perfect for a family on a budget!

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tufftub

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Reviewed: Aug. 27, 2009

We gave this a five star because it was a little dry..I prob did something wrong..but the flavor was delish!

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Nadia Taijeron

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Hampton, Virginia, USA

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Reviewed: Aug. 13, 2009

I only used the one tablespoon of olive oil to saute the veggies so it wasn't oily at all. The vinegar is a must.

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Emily

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Reviewed: Aug. 12, 2009

While the flavor was OK, it needed a lot of salt and pepper and would have been entirely bland without the drizzle of vinegar at the end. Because of the high amount of olive oil, I had the unpleasant sensation of drinking a bowl of oil.

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Lucille Bluth

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Reviewed: Jul. 7, 2009

Loved this recipe. Only difference I did was omit the vinegar, add about 2 cups of thinly sliced brats and quite a bit of salt. It was very bland. Nonetheless, incredibly high in fiber and vitamins.

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Mikey P

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Lewisburg, Tennessee, USA

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Reviewed: Jun. 20, 2009

I never had Fakes before, so maybe I just didn't know what to expect. I tasted this out of the pot before serving, and the only flavor I could taste was the rosemary. Other than that, it was quite bland. I thought it was better once I added the oil and vinegar. My boyfriend didn't like it at all, so I dumped his out and got him a new bowl without the oil and vinegar. He said it was a little better, but still didn't eat it. I took the leftovers to a friend's house the next day, and she didn't like it either. She said it had a weird flavor, and when I told her it was rosemary, she said, "Oh yeah, that's it." To enjoy this soup, you've really got to like vinegar, and add a healthy portion to the soup to give it some flavor. I also didn't get the "healthy" part. There's close to 500 calories and 30 grams of fat in one bowl. It'd be worth it if it tasted better.

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Wiley

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Newport, Pennsylvania, USA

Living In: Middletown, Pennsylvania, USA

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Reviewed: May 31, 2009

This was good, but still seemed like it needed a bit of flavor. I did like the vinegar at the end.

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angelasunshine

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: May 21, 2009

This is a good base recipe so I am giving it 5 stars because of that. But, I did use chicken stock instead of the water and had to add more spices. I added more salt and some Greek seasoning I happened to have on hand. I also added some diced potatoes and orange bell pepper which I needed to use up. Adding the vinegar was something I would not have thought of so this was nice as well. I also added a dash of hot sauce to my serving and this made it perfect.

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BMARIN

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: May 19, 2009

Sooooo delicious!! I made the recipe with no additions, except some feta I threw on top before serving. Wonderful recipe!!

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Alanna

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Reviewed: May 15, 2009

This recipe is so simple but oh so good. I followed the recipe exactly (normally I use broth instead of water in other recipes) and I'm glad because it came out perfectly. And like everyone else said, the vinegar adds so much more flavor, definitely do it! I will make this again not only because it is so good but because it is also very healthy.

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Denise

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Living In: Prescott Valley, Arizona, USA

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Reviewed: Apr. 10, 2009

Excellent!

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Vickygloz

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Flushing, New York, USA

Living In: Danbury, Connecticut, USA

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Reviewed: Apr. 6, 2009

This is very light in flavour so I tweaked it and made inauthentic Greek lentil soup. I upped the oregano and rosemary and added a touch of allspice. When cooking the lentils, I added 2 celery stalks which I discarded after cooking.

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honey chile

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Mar. 19, 2009

I make this all the time - It's pretty much a staple in my house now. I find that it is a very forgiving recipe. Make it with or without tomato paste; I actually prefer it without. Tonight I didn't have onion so I just used extra carrot and added a can of tomatoes. It's always yummy and satisfying. You have to add the vinegar though, it makes it much more flavorful. It doesn't matter what kind you use, I use balsamic most of the time. Perfect with crusty french bread and goat cheese..yum!

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Stephanie Jo

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Mar. 16, 2009

This was really good and my whole family ate it and liked it. This made me very happy since legumes are so healthy and I happen to love them. They were even better the next day as beans always are. I think the only thing I changed was that I added a little leftover chicken and broth that I had slow-cooked to remove the last of the meat from a roast chicken. Thank you Diane! I had never had fakes before. Great recipe.

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arugulagirl

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Reviewed: Mar. 15, 2009

My lentils came out too mushy, and there was no liquid at all... The red wine vinegar is a nice touch, but otherwise I found it to be way too underspiced.

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