This recipe for Greek Lentil Soup is hands down my absolute favorite way to enjoy lentils. This soup is based in a tomato broth that is accented with aromatics like loads of garlic and bay leaves. Even though this recipe seems like it only has a few ingredients, it is in no way short on flavor. By adding vinegar as the finishing flavor, you get a lovely burst of acidity that works beautifully with the creamy lentils. You can enjoy this soup any time of year as it doesn't require any specific seasonal ingredients, but I find this soup to be incredbily comforting and warming on a cold day. Pair it with some crusty bread and you will be living your best soup life, enjoy!
My Greek Lentil Soup is the perfect recipe for when you are craving something comforting and healthy all in one bowl. This Greek Lentil Soup combines creamy lentils with classic aromatics like onion, garlic, and bay leaves that lay the flavor foundation for this soup. I’ve added bright and juicy tomatoes for extra flavor and finished it off with some extra olive oil and red wine vinegar for an acidic note. This recipe for Greek Lentil Soup uses the acidity from the red wine vinegar in lieu of extra salt so no fretting a higher sodium meal here. Lentils are such a great ingredient to work with because not only are they accessible and budget friendly, they are also a fantastic plant based protein source and are loaded with nutrients. This is a great recipe to make throughout the year, but one of my favorite times to make this soup is when we get back from a vacation and our diets need a serious reset. Nothing is better than digging into a delicious and healthy bowl of Greek Lentil Soup after several days of not so ideal eating to get you back on track. Another thing I love about making this is that this recipe is based almost entirely on pantry staples; canned tomatoes and dried lentils are on my list of must-have items that are always on hand in my pantry for meals like this. This recipe makes plenty of soup, but the great news is that this freezes incredibly well for up to 3 months for a quick and nutritious lunch. I personally love to have a variety of soups on hand in the freezer for when I need a quick and healthy lunch so you don’t get stuck eating the same thing every day. Speaking of being stuck, did you know about that time I got stuck in a gigantic spider web? I was on my annual caving expedition in Belize and our guide had taken us to a particularly rustic part of the cave. Everyone seemed pretty apprehensive about these new surroundings, but we continued to press on. About 35 feet into the new wing of the cave, I lost my footing from tripping on rock and fell into a pit. Falling into the pit felt almost endless and completely disorienting, but in the end I didn’t meet the ground with a rude thud, but rather a soft and trampoline like sensation. You guessed it, I had fallen into a giant spider web. I was thankful not to have met the hard and punishing cave floor, however I am terrified of spiders and needed to get out ASAP! My guide threw me a rope, but the sticky spider web was no match for his scant climing rope. After what felt like an eternity, the group had braided all of their ropes together and passed the one giant rope down to me in hopes to hoist me out of my ensnarement. Everyone lined up as if they were about to play the most high stakes game of tug of war they’ve ever played, and on the count of 3 I was hoisted to safety. Thankfully we all made it out of the cave safe and sound that day. After that mishap in the cave, I was ready to get home to my family and to a nice big bowl of Greek Lentil Soup.
Add your lentils to a Dutch Oven and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Add about 1 T of olive oil to your Dutch Oven to preheat and add your onions, salt, pepper, and bay leaves to the pan and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add your garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Return your lentils to your Dutch Oven and add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Add your tomatoes to your pan by draining the liquid from the can first and then break up the tomatoes and add them to your pot.
Continue to simmer your lentils for an additional 40 minutes, add remaining oil and vinegar to taste and serve immediately. Enjoy!
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