Lentil and Feta Soup with Vinegar
It used to be one of my favourite soups for long years, then I stopped making it and completely forgot about its existence (I blame mainly my obsession with Asian cuisines…). Recently, browsing through Katerina’s Greek recipes (on Culinary Flavors) I saw a very appetising Lentil Soup (Fakes Soupa) which suddenly reminded me of my beloved lentil and feta soup. My soup is probably not Greek, but thanks to Katerina, it made a big comeback to my kitchen and became a staple again.
This simple recipe is not my invention, but a copy of a dish I ate in a restaurant many many years ago. I don’t remember the name of the place and don’t think it served genuine Hellenic cuisine, but the soup was labelled as Greek, tasted wonderful and proved easy to copy at home. It can be considered a rich winter starter, but if you double the portions and serve it with bread, it will be a filling, but healthy vegetarian main course. I have no idea if it’s a Greek idea to combine lentils, feta and vinegar, but the result is excellent and, in my opinion, addictive. It is already excellent without vinegar, but its addition makes it more interesting and gives it a nice refreshing acid touch.
TIP: If you want, you can add fried cubes of streaky bacon just before serving.
Preparation: 1 – 2 hours (the time depends on how long your lentils cook)
Ingredients (serves two as a main course or four as a starter):
200 g (7 oz) feta, cut into bite-sized cubes
200 g (7 oz/about one cup) green or brown lentils
1 medium onion
1 big garlic clove
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon thyme
1 litre water or stock (chicken or vegetable stock)
(soy sauce or Maggi sauce)
oregano
pepper, salt
good quality olive oil
vinegar of your choice (wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar taste best here in my opinion)
Slice the onion and put together with the lentils, the bay leaf and the thyme into a big pan.
Add the water or stock and simmer the lentils on low heat, adding water if needed (check if too much water doesn’t evaporate or is absorbed by the lentils).
When they are already soft, add 2 teaspoons oregano, season with salt, pepper, crushed garlic and soy sauce/Maggi sauce, if using. Cook about 15-20 more minutes until the liquid part of the soup becomes slightly mushy.
Adjust the seasoning, divide into bowls.
Place cubed feta in every bowl. Add a splash of olive oil and of vinegar. Sprinkle with some more oregano and serve.
This looks unusual, but in a good way. I’ve never had cheese in any soup. I guess adding cheese just before serving ensures that it doesn’t get gloopy! And big chunks of cheese can serve as a meat replacement. One can close the eyes and imagine eating bits of salted chicken:)
Thank you, Mr. Three-Cookies. Apart from the famous French onion soup, I never have cheese in soup either. This is the only exception, but feta doesn’t melt (so doesn’t get “gloopy”), so it’s quite different. No meat needed indeed, but some small bits of fried bacon sprinkled on top won’t do any harm here 😉
I’m going to have to take a closer look at this soup recipe when I have some free time. I have a small bag of lentils left in my cupboard and a couple of packages of feta cheese in my freezer to use up. I am going to do a spinach and cheese pie/triangles but it’s nice to have other options.
Let me know if you test this soup. I hope you will like it too.
Although not the type of soup I grew up eating, I absolutely adore cheesy soups (french onion soup yum)! I’ve actually got some lentil on hand so I’ll definitely try out your recipe! I am glad to find a new soup recipe to try since I have been trying out different soup recipes these two weeks due to the cold weather here. Thanks again for the awesome recipe!
Thank you, Yi. This is completely different from the French onion soup (it’s not as rich, fat and feta doesn’t melt… a bit as if you had put tofu pieces into a soup) but I hope you will like it. I didn’t grow up eating this kind of soup either 😉 I think I had lentils for the first time at the age of 20…
I like to jazz up lentil soup because I find it a bit plain (just me). With a passion for feta cheese, I know that I would be happy to tuck into this soup Sissi. I have all of the ingredients in the house to make this and I’ve had a hankering for soup because of the cold snap, so I just may make this over the upcoming weekend. How are you? I’ve missed corresponding with you but my blogging time has been pared back substantially the last year. I do hope that you are keeping well and that you had a great holiday. Did Europe escape the the polar vortex that gripped most of North America? It has been a wild winter so far. Take good care Sissi!
Hi, Barb! Thank you for coming back. It’s been such a long time! I also hope you are well and not too much disturbed by the cold winter. I think there were some cold days in UK, but not here (I live in a warmer part of Switzerland: the climate is much warmer than for example Paris… so I cannot complain).
It’s funny how recipes can be so well loved and then suddenly archived from memory; that seems to happen to me a lot. What a lovely little soup Sissi — all of the ingredients please me and I can image the taste that would emerge from the combination of flavours. I find the addition of vinegar so interesting — it’s like the perfect way to spruce up the lentil base against the feta pillows. I have the feta, I have plenty o’ vinegar, I just need to dash out and get me some lentils!! 🙂
Thank you so much, Kelly. I’m glad I’m not the only one… luckily I still keep my hand-written cookery book, so I have a look from time to time and rediscover dishes I loved but I haven’t had for five or more years. This soup was so frequently made in my house, I even never needed a recipe! The vinegar is what makes it lighter and very interesting in my opinion, but might be difficult for people who don’t like tangy/acid food.
I know exactly what you mean Sissi, I can see from my dinner party logs how my favourite dishes have changed over the years, staples are forgotten in lieu of new favourites! This is what helps us from getting sick and bored of recipes! I love lentils, feta AND vinegar so this is perfect, and can be made fast enough for lunch (starting in the morning). I’m going to give it a go on the weekend, thanks for a new idea.
Interestingly enough, the Hungarians use vinegar extensively as flavouring and balance in their cooking, it’s likely why I love it so much (don’t laugh, but I can actually drink white vinegar – I don’t, but I could!).
Thanks a lot, Eva. I love tangy food. I don’t drink vinegar (yet!), but I have always loved acid/tangy food. Polish cuisine has lots of tangy dishes (sour cream, sour salads, sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers or peppers, pickled herring, beetroot soup and even bread which is slightly tangy…) so I grew up with it and the older I am the more often I need acid touches on my plates. I had no idea Hungarian cuisine used vinegar so much (of course apart from pickles).
This looks absolutely delicious! Unfortunately my husband doesn’t like lentils and he doesn’t care for feta much either but this only means one thing…more for me!! 🙂
I know exactly what you mean, I have been completely obsessed with Asian food for quite a few years now and I totally neglected my old recipes! I want to make some of my old favorites again but we just came back from Thailand and I came back with some lovely cookbooks so I think I will play with those for now. So much good food, so little stomach space and time..how frustrating! 🙂
Thank you so much, Caroline. This soup can be made in advance and then reheated, so preparing it for you only is not that difficult. I am constantly making two different dishes (or two slightly different versions) for me and my husband.
It’s so difficult to keep up with several different cuisines! I like Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Indian, Italian, now have started to discover Greek cuisine… It’s even complicated to keep a stock of basic seasonings… not to mention choosing which cuisine I want to cook today. You are right: there is the little stomach space problem (especially when travelling!). You must have spent wonderful holidays. I have never been to Thailand, but I love Thai cuisine and would like to visit the country one day. Have fun with your new cookbooks!
My friend thank you so much for the shout out! Lentil soup is my son’s favorite and your version I am sure it tastes great! To be honest I prefer beans from lentils but I would gladly have a bowl of this soup to taste it! Thank you again and I hope you are having a beautiful weekend!
Dear Katerina, you are my constant inspiration, so thank YOU once more! I like both lentils and beans and now that you talk about beans, bean soup with feta sounds equally delicious! I also hope you are having a lovely weekend.
Sissi, I have made lentil soup so many times…even for New Year’s day; and as you have added the vinegar it certainly does require, just as bean soup do! As for the perfect Greek version, the thyme and oregano certainly does make it Greek…the addition of the Feta cheese cubes sends it over the top delicious; but of course, always at the end just the way you have added it. Thank you for sharing your delicious version and recipe. (I’ll be sure to get the Feta to add to the soup)
Finally we have a gorgeous sunny day today…weeks later! Have a wonderful Sunday!
Thank you so much, Elisabeth. I am glad to hear you add vinegar to your soups too. Bean soup with vinegar sounds fantastic too!
Hi There, This is a terrific post! Feta is a nice idea to top up on a soup… It’s wonderful to see your each and every post. I simply adore your work ! And hope to see more of your creative endeavors soon ! Bookmarked this one and shall give it a shot :)) Wish you and your family a very Happy and Blessed New Year!!!
Thanks & Regards, Sonia !!!
Hi Sonia, thank you so much for all the compliments. I am really flattered. I also wish you Happy New Year!
This looks very interesting. I’m all into soups these days and with a bit cheese floating on top sounds fabulous to me 🙂
Thank you, Gintare. It’s a simple soup, but feta and vinegar make it somehow a bit different.
What an interesting soup–I’m dying to get my hands on this one, Sissi!!
Thank you so much, Squishy Monster.
Feta and lentils sounds like a very interesting combination. I’ve never been a big fan of lentils, but with feta, maybe I could change my mind.
Thank you, MJ. I’m sure it will be equally good with beans.
I like the sound of this soup, Sissi…especially with the cubes of feta. It must add additional flavor to this warming soup. I add vinegar at the end when making black bean soup as it adds a nice brightness. 🙂
Thank you, Karen. I have never tested vinegar with been soup but now I will.
LOL. You made me laugh when you mentioned you started making more Asian foods! Hahahaha! I enjoy your recipes either way – From your non-Asian dishes, I learn a lot about some food that I’m not familiar yet or had never tasted before, and from your Asian dishes, I love how you cook it and explain in details! Would love to taste this soup!
You know, it’s difficult to keep on cooking both Asian and European (both kinds of cookery include so many different ethnic cuisines…), so one tends to get overwhelmed with just one or two cuisines and forgets the rest. Thank you so much for your kind warm words. It really means a lot to me.