Greek Lentil Soup (Fakes)

Although my specialty is Indian cuisine, I very much enjoy experimenting with various ethnic dishes. When I came across Peter's recipe for Greek Lentil soup, I realized that I have only posted one Greek dish to Lisa's Kitchen so far, which is odd, as I very much enjoy Greek food. Peter's soup looked and sounded so good I decided to make my own version that is closely based on his. Serve with crusty bread and a grain for a complete and comforting vegetarian meal.

Greek Lentil Soup (Fakes)

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Peter Minakis Cuisine: Greek Published on January 14, 2008 Simple, comforting bowl of traditional Greek lentil soup flavored with tomatoes, garlic and oregano Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil 2 medium onions, diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed + 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups brown lentils, rinsed 1 large carrot, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon paprika 3 bay leaves 8 cups water or vegetable stock 2 tablespoons dried oregano 2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste Instructions: Heat the oil in a large soup pot or saucepan over medium heat. When hot, toss in the onions and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes to soften. Next add the crushed garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the lentils, carrot, pepper, tomatoes, tomato paste, paprika and bay leaves and pour in the water or stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to moderately low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour or until the lentils are soft. When the soup is finished, stir in the minced garlic, oregano and sea salt. Serve hot or warm. Makes 6 to 8 servings