This traditional Cretan Lentil Soup is a hearty and delicious Mediterranean Diet recipe. It’s easy to prepare, and you can prep your other ingredients while cooking the lentils. I love making this soup on Sunday for weekday lunches. Enjoy with a tasty and healthy chunk of sourdough bread.
Photo Credit: Christine Dutton
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Koula Barydakis was born into a long tradition of eating and living Mediterranean on the Greek island of Crete. She is a chef who has worked in many of ...
Read more about this chef..
In the 1960’s, the Greek island of Crete had the highest longevity rates in the world, the men lived to be the same age as the women and researchers could only find one man on the island who had heart disease.
In our cookbook, Foods of Crete: Traditional Recipes from the Healthiest People in the World you will find over 110 delectable recipes by Koula Barydakis, a chef and cooking teacher from the island and a guide to eating the Mediterranean diet by Bill Bradley, Registered Dietician.
Delicious and buttery, this is the oil that can be used for all your cooking needs including sauces, dressings, soups, bread dipping and even baking! Makes everything taste better!
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Do you eat the soup with 2 slices of orange with the peeling or do you take the orange peeling out and leave the flesh?
You cook the orange slices in the soup, peel and all.
Is that really a cup of oil?
Most definitely!
What cheese is that on top in the photos?
Feta!
What would you suggest for the times when using the pressure cooker setting on an instant pot?
It depends on what recipe you’re making. Are you wondering for this Lentil soup recipe?
The oerson didn’t respond, but I would like to know the cooking time for an electric pressure cooker. Thank you! Looks delicious.
I haven’t made this recipe in a pressure cooker yet, but it is on the list of recipes I’m going to adapt for a pressure cooker (or Instant Pot).
What color lentils green,red,brown or yellow do you use in this recipe?
Brown lentils are best for this recipe!
Excellent soup!
I am sensitive to nightshades, so i used butternut squash puree instead of tomato paste.
Question: Does this freeze well?
Glad you liked it! I haven’t tried freezing this, but lentil soups tend to freeze very well!
Excellent! I am sensitive to nightshades, so i used butternut squash puree instead of tomato paste.
Question: Does this freeze well?
I haven’t frozen this one specifically, but yes lentil soup should freeze well!
This soup is delicious! I have tasted it while it is cooking, and it is wonderful. Decided to add a small amount of pasta (capellini) to it, but it would have been great on its own.
That does sound like a very tasty addition. Thank you for trying our recipe and sharing your thoughts with Mediterranean Living!