my red lentil sweet potato soup

Cause you know you want a big warming bowl of soup on these cold nights. This recipe is simple, fast, and forgiving -- don't have something, you can probably get away with it.

Red Lentil Sweet Potato Soup
1 1/2 tblspoon olive oil
1/2-1 large onion, chopped
1-3 teaspoons of cumin seed (or more ground cumin if that's all you got)
6 cloves of garlic, chopped (don't be shy...)
1 inch ginger, chopped or grated (if you've got it)
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into chunks
1/2 cup canned tomatoes
2 celery ribs (if you've got em')
1 carrot chopped
1/2 teaspoon of salt (at least)
1 cup dried red lentils
4 cups veggie broth
1 1/2 cups water
red chile pepper flakes, dill, yogurt to top

(other things to add if you've got them: curry powder, lime/lemon, chard/spinach/kale)

The cookin;

1. Heat oil over moderately high heat until hot, then saute onion, stirring until golden about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic cumin, salt other spices if you like, then tomato, celery, sweet potato and carrot--saute stirring for about 2 minutes.
   
3. Add lentils, water, broth and simmer, uncovered stirring every once in awhile until the lentils are tender.

Top with red chile pepper flakes, lime, dill, and yo if you've got some on hand. Mmmmm.