That is pronounced fah-kee, and as a Greek child growing up in this country I had tremendous amount of fun whenever I would ask my mother to cook some faki. I felt like I was inadvertently cursing and getting away with saying a bad word over and over again. It was very liberating as I was an awkwardly quiet child.

Faki is something you grow up loving or hating. It’s one of those meals that don’t occupy a middle ground of eh. Again, being that awkward kid, I loved it when every one of my friends hated it, and consequently teased me for it.

Making this our first entry is triumphant. It’s not only a delicious dish, but very healthy. Lentils are packed with iron and high-level proteins. You can’t ever have too much of this stuff.

Ingredients

½ lb brown lentils, rinsed

3 carrots, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

2 yellow onions, diced

4 cloves of garlic

3 tomatoes, diced

1 chicken or vegetable bouillon (if you want to make your dish strictly vegetarian)

2 bay leaves

3 teaspoons dried oregano

8 oz of tomato sauce (we use Goya)

1 tbsp of tomato paste

¼ cup olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

handful chopped parsley to garnish

On the Side (Optional)

Red wine vinegar

Pepperocini peppers

1. Add a quarter cup of olive oil in a large pot. Allow the oil to get hot. Place the onions in the pot and sauté them for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, and celery and continue to sauté until the onions have become translucent. This usually takes 5 minutes and also helps the vegetables get soft.

2. Add the lentils and stir them around to have completely blended them with the other ingredients.

3. Place your diced tomatoes in and stir. Follow that by adding the oregano, salt, and pepper.

4. Pour approximately 6 cups of water in the pot and stir. Add the bouillon cube and bay leaves; allow the mixture to come to a boil on medium-high heat. Then bring it down to a simmer and allow it to cook for an hour.

Occasionally stir the pot and taste the soup to make sure you have the right ratio of spices. I usually find myself adding salt and pepper throughout cooking. Also, if you think your lentil soup is getting too thick and running low on water, use your judgment and an additional cup. Cooking unravels as you do it and it’s never a mistake to alter the recipe. If something is telling you to add more water or salt, go for it. Don’t doubt your inner instinctual chef.

Once the soup is ready, pour it into bowls and garnish with the chopped parsley. If you want to enjoy it the authentic Greek way, put a splash of red wine vinegar and add a pepporocini or two in there—it really adds some heat!

Kali orixi, or bon appetit!

Tastefully yours,

Lauren & Olympia