Kale and Sweet Potato Soup with Cumin and Lemon

Ingredients
1 large onion
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt, more to taste
1 medium sweet potato
1 small Yukon gold or white potato
1 bunch of kale
5-7 scallions, sliced
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2- 3 cups vegetable broth
fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbs. cumin seed
1-2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
a pinch of hot pepper
optional garnish: additional fruity green olive oil, crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

Thoroughly wash and chop the onion. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan and start sautéing the onions, with a sprinkle of salt, keep stirring until golden, about 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes and cut both potatoes in 1/2 inch dice. Chop kale coarsely. Combine the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and kale in a soup pot with 5 cups water and a teaspoon of salt, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about fifteen minutes.

Add the sautéed onions to the pot, along with the sliced scallions, cilantro, and a lot of fresh ground black pepper. Add as much of the vegetable broth as you need to give the soup a nice consistency - this is a hearty soup, but not a stew, and it should pour easily from a ladle. Simmer the soup gently, covered, for about ten more minutes.

Lightly toast the cumin seed in a dry pan, just until it is fragrant, and grind it in a mortar or spice grinder. Stir the cumin seed and a spoonful of lemon juice into the soup, and taste. Add more salt, pepper or lemon juice as needed, and finish with a pinch of cayenne or any red pepper.

Ladle the soup into warm bowls. If interested, garnish with olive oil, a heaping spoonful of tangy crumbled feta cheese, or homemade croutons. This soup goes well served with brown rice, barley, or farro.

Adapted from Anna Thomas, Love Soup: 160 All-New Vegetarian Recipes from the Author of The Vegetarian Epicure