One of the best ways to eat more healthfully is to cook with super foods. This is the best recipe I’ve found for both kale and lentils — a treat from Bon Appetit!

½ cup olive oil
10 garlic cloves, halved
2T rosemary
3 cups water
½ cup green lentils
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 T sage
7 cups vegetable broth (I use Trader Joe’s)
3T soy sauce
¼ cup red lentils
1 ¼ pounds yams or sweet potato, cubed
12 oz. kale, thinly sliced

Optional toppings: grated parmesan, parsley

Cook oil, garlic and rosemary in small heavy saucepan over lowest heat till garlic begins to brown, about 1 ½ hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead–refrigerate oil and garlic cloves separately.)

Boil 3 cups water and green lentils, then simmer on medium for 25 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat garlic flavored oil in soup pot, add leek and sage, and cook, stirring, till leek is soft, about 10 minutes.  Add 7 cups vegetable broth, red and green lentils, and soy sauce.  Bring to boil, then reduce to medium and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add yams and garlic and simmer for 10 minutes, then add kale and simmer till wilted, about 5 minutes.

My teenage sons love this—kale and all.  It’s hearty, so non-vegetarians don’t miss the meat. However, if you want to use meat, the original recipe calls for flank steak to be sautéed in some of the garlic oil, then sliced thinly as a topping for the soup.  I’ve substituted different greens for the kale, and pumpkin for yams, with good results.