Oil-free lentils soup for Good Friday

For the Greeks around the world this is the Holy Week and this weekend the Greek Orthodox Easter is celebrated. On Good Friday one of the most common dishes people might have is the lentils soup. Usually cooked in the classic way but without any oil in and in some cases not even tomatoes are added. Here today we have a different version of this soup but still very filling and tasty
 

 
 

Adapted from a recipe of Niki Chryssanthidou,
from "Gastronomos" magazine of "KATHIMERINI" newspaper 

Ingredients (for 4 people):
150gr. of brown lentils
50gr. of red lentils
1 yellow onion, grated
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 carrot, finely grated (optional -my addition)
3 bay leaves
1 large potato, peeled and finely diced
1 tsp of dried oregano
salt
pepper

To serve:
1 tbsp of cider vinegar
8 small barley or other rusks

Method:
Rinse the lentils well and boil in a large pot for 10 minutes on medium heat. Drain in a colander and rinse again before placing them in fresh water, which should cover them in the pot by two fingers.

Add in the pot the remaining ingredients and cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes or until the lentils and the potatoes are soft. Take off the heat and discard the bay leaves.

Transfer the ingredients into a blender (probably in batches) along with their liquid and whiz until they are completely mashed. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into another pot so to get the desired velvety consistency.

Cook the soup for another 5 minutes in medium-low heat, adding some hot water if the mixture gets too thick.

Drizzle the soup with the vinegar and serve immediately along with the rusks.

*** Those who don't follow the fast strictly they can drizzle their portion with some oilive oil.