Day 9: On a Mediterranean Diet

Photo courtesy of CC<3’s2bake and All Recipes

Welcome to 30 Days on a Mediterranean Diet, our new blog series! It’s no secret that eating the Mediterranean way helps with heart health and weight loss. But fast-paced modern living makes it hard to stick to any diet, which is why each 30 Days on a Mediterranean Diet post will feature a healthy Mediterranean recipe.

I bet when you read the title of today’s recipe you said, “Holy cannoli! Fake soup?!’ Well, I’ve not yet gotten that meta on you, dear readers. I will not, in fact, be asking you to make fake soup. I will suggest, however, a nice bowl of Fakes (pronounced ‘Fah-kehs’) for dinner tonight.

Fakes is basically the Greek word for lentil soup and, in this recipe, the yum factor is nothing short of delicious. Simmered in an array of earthy spices, you’re face to face with Fakes at its finest. Not to mention, lentils are a great low calorie/high fiber Mediterranean diet staple and offer up nutrients like iron, potassium, copper, vitamin B1, manganese and more.*

Eat up and enjoy!

Prep & Cook

1. Place lentils in a large saucepan; add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring water to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 minutes; drain.
2. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and carrot; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Pour in lentils, 1 quart water, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until the lentils have softened, 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add additional water if the soup becomes too thick. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and red wine vinegar to taste.

*The World’s Healthiest Foods – Lentils. Whfoods. and
Wilcox, Julie. 7 Health Benefits of Lentils. Mindbodygreen.com.