Ethiopian-inspired red lentil soup

I really loved the lentil soups that I used to make with ham or chorizo, and I was searching for a really interesting vegan variant that wouldn't be a pale shadow of those other soups. This recipe intrigued me - the spices were so different from what I usually used in soups, and it sounded like it would be delicious. It is. This will be absolutely brilliant on a cool, fall evening.

Next time I'd probably substitute squash for the potatoes, and maybe use something other than green beans (fresh fava beans would be nice, if you could find them).

Ethiopian-inspired red lentil soup
adapted from this recipe

1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tbsp Berberé spice mixture (see below)
1 3/4 c red lentils, rinsed
~1 pound red potatoes, diced
7 cups water
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
salt
~1 lb fresh green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch kale, torn

Sauté the onion in some canola oil until translucent; add the garlic and sauté a bit longer. Add the spice mixture to coat the onion/garlic mixture, and cook for a few minutes more. Stir in the potatoes and lentils to coat them as well, then add the water. Simmer, covered, over low heat until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes and enough salt to taste, then add the green beans. You may need a bit more water at this point to thin the soup. Simmer until the green beans are done to your liking (I left them a bit on the crisp side). Stir in the kale to let it wilt, and it's done.

Serve over rice, or maybe with a really thin, chewy bread to scoop it up.

Berberé spice mixture

1 tbsp ground cardamon (I ground up some whole black pods)
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp fenugreek (I ground up some yellow pebble-like stuff, not the green herb)
1 tbsp ground nutmeg
1 tbsp ground cloves
1 tbsp ground allspice (I didn't have this, so left it out)
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne

Combine all of the above and store in a jar. Since I ground a lot of whole spices, the measurements are all approximate. Wow, this spice mixture smells so fantastic - I'd be tempted to use it in spice cookies or an interesting loaf...