Adapted from a recipe found on KINDA GREEK
One can never have enough soups... So I'm slowly building my collection of soup recipes. Most times I will tweak recipes found on the Net to either make them more diabetic friendly or just to put my own spin on the dish. I invite you to do the same with this very simple version of a traditional Greek soup called Spanaki Me Faki. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb dried lentils - rinsed and soaked
- 4 cups chicken stock to start - alternately use vegetable stock for a true vegetarian version.
- 1 lb fresh baby spinach - stems removed
- 1/4 cup olive or avocado oil
- 1 bunch scallions – white and green parts separated
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- salt & pepper to taste
- grated Parmesan cheese (optional at table)
Soak lentils in water for one hour.
Drain and transfer to soup pot and add 4 cups of stock. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer until soft,
about 20-25 minutes.
As the lentils cook, remove the course
stems from the spinach and tear larger leaves in half.
Cut the scallion greens into 3/4 – 1” pieces at an angle. Cut
the whites into 1/4" discs.
Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the scallion whites and
garlic until soft and garlic has browned a bit. It may seem like a lot of oil, but we’re
Add the sauté to the cooked lentils, oil and all.
Add more stock if needed, up to two cups. Add spinach and scallion greens and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, occasionally mixing as the spinach cooks down.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Don’t be shy with the salt, because well... SPINACH! :-) Add final salt & pepper touches at the table for each person's individual taste. Also, try some grated Parmesan as garnish for a touch of Next Level. :-)
Blessed be... and happy cooking!