FOOD: Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

I modified this recipe from Real Simple magazine. Pretty tasty. Since lentils are so small and have a relatively high surface area, the dried beans take less than an hour to cook and soaking isn't necessary. Just spill them out on a cookie sheet for a quick rinse and to make sure that you didn't get any pebbles or chunks of dirt. The original recipe called for fresh thyme and basil, but i didn't have any and used half the amount of dried herbs. If anything, increase the amount of the sweet potatoes. they're the best part. Good with beer and cornbread, as shown in Figure 1.

4 leeks, white and light green parts only
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained (Not sure if i drained this or not. Can't see how a little tomato juice would hurt anything.)
6 cups water (for maximum tastiness, I used half water and half veggie broth)
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into a 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup brown lentils
1/2 tablespoon dried leaves
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan (optional)

Slice each leek in half lengthwise, then slice each half into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons (about 2 cups). Place in a large bowl of cold water and swish to remove any grit. Drain and pat dry.

Remove the stems from the kale. Stack the leaves on top of one another and slice them crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips; you'll need 3 cups.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, breaking them up with a spoon, for 5 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil. Stir in the kale, sweet potatoes, lentils, thyme, salt, pepper, and basil (if using). Simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Spoon into individual bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan (if using).

Serves: one metric ton. If you need to freeze it, omit the cheese.