For her book Meals and Recipes from Ancient Greece, author Eugenia Salza Prina Ricotti had to become something of a food detective. The Greeks didn’t have cookbooks as we do; instead, hints at their cuisine exist in their literature, in poetry and dramas.
Many of the recipes in this book derive from a single text written by Athanaeus in Rome in the third century, The Deipnosophists—also known as The Gastronomers or The Banquet of the Learned and as Philosophers at Dinner.
While some recipes—say, stuffed suckling pig—might challenge the modern cook, this lentil soup recipe from Zeno of Citium is quite easy, and makes a cozy winter meal. Lentils were then, as they have remained, cheap and widely used. “You men of fair Alexandria,” Athanaeus wrote, “have been brought up on lentil food, and your entire city is full of lentil dishes.”
Zeno’s Lentil Soup
1 lb. lentils
8 cup broth
1 large minced leek
1 carrot, sliced
1 stalk of celery, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
2 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
12 coriander seedsRinse the lentils thoroughly, then put them into a pot with the broth to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for one hour. When the hour is up, skim the top, add the vegetables, and simmer until cooked through, about 30 minutes. If the soup seems too watery, pass some of the lentils through a sieve. Now add the vinegar and honey. Pour into serving bowls and add a good dollop of olive oil (about 2 tablespoons per serving), sprinkling on coriander seeds and salt and pepper to taste.
The soup is surprisingly rich and flavorful, even though the aromatics go in the pot without being sautéed. A good-quality, fruity olive oil makes for a luxurious first spoonful.
If you’re wondering if you’re really supposed to count out exactly 12 coriander seeds—no more, no less—you’re not alone. “This commendable precision regarding a quantity is not common in ancient recipes,” Ricotti writes, “but assuredly these 12 coriander seeds radically change the flavor of the soup.”
This looks great. I’ve been really curious about ancient food recently because I’ve been eating more & more of a vegan and Mediterranean diet. I even found a recipe for an ancient Hittite lentil stew! I can’t wait to try this recipe – it looks delicious & is vegan, too! Thank you.
this recipe looks very interesting so I think I may try it. the recipe itself is easy enough to make and is very different than my mother’s greek recipe for lentil soup. 🙂
mmmmmm i MUST TRY THIS RECIPE.
Classic Lentil Soup:
1 lb. brown lentils, soaked overnight in water
2 large onions chopped fine
4 stalks of celery chopped fine
4 carrots medium to large, chopped fine
4 or 5 plum tomatoes (canned are fine, with some of their juice, even better)
5 or 6 stalks of parsley, chopped fine
Salt
Black Pepper
Olive Oil
Boil the vegetable mix at a high boil for about five minutes and then skim the top
Add the lentils, stir, and reduce heat to a slow boil.
Add salt, coarse black pepper, and olive oil to taste.
Cook for about 45 minutes or until lentils are soft and pliable.
Keep adding water if the mixture gets too thick.
May be cooked with small macaroni or broken up spaghetti for a lentil and pasta mixture or eaten plain.