Legumes are often combined with grains in the Mediterranean cuisine, with the most popular combination being lentils and rice. There are many variations of this simple but very nutritious dish. The Greek style lentils and rice dish is called “Fakorizo” and it is the recipe that we’ve prepared for you today!
It has been a very cold winter so far and what is better to tackle this frigid weather than a bowl of comfort food. Lentil soup enhanced with some spicy sausage is the perfect comfort food!
It’s the ideal time of the year- somewhere between summer and autumn- to indulge into a salad with a favorite legume. Lentils are perhaps the best legumes we can use in a salad and they match perfectly with feta cheese. Add some herbs and abundant lemon juice and you’ve got the most wonderful lunch!
As we have mentioned before, Greeks adore legumes. They are undoubtedly a staple in our cuisine. We cook them in different ways, we make soups, dips, salads, we even bake them in the oven. Plus the fact that we eat them all year around.
Whichever travel magazine you’re browsing this time of the year, you’ll notice that Santorini is one of the most popular article themes. Probably the most attractive island of Greece, Santorini owes its impressive and dramatic beauty to geological reasons. It is essentially what remains after an enormous volcanic explosion, which occurred some 3600 years ago and created the current geological caldera.
One of the main characteristics of Greek cuisine is the abundant presence and use of legumes with beans, lentils, chickpeas, fava beans and broad beans being the most common ones. Greeks eat legumes at least once a week , mainly in the form of a soup. But we also find them baked, mashed or in salads as a main ingredient. Today we’ ve got an all time favourite , which is considered as a staple of our cuisine. Greek kids love it, and believe it or not it’s hard to find one who’d say ‘’no’’ to a bowl of lentil soup, especially if it’s made by their dear granny! (Actually it’s even harder to say ‘’no’’ to a Greek granny!). It seems that our dearest sweet grandmothers know very well that lentils are a good source of iron, hence their insisting on cooking this soup for their grandchildren so often!
As such, Greek lentil soup is simple and easy to make. To be honest, simplicity is the key ‘’ingredient’’ in Greek cuisine in general. But what makes this soup extremely tasty is the final touch: a splash of good quality vinegar when finally cooked!
