A kumara is what a sweet potato is called in New Zealand. This smooth and tasty soup is made with kumara and lentils. Serve with quick cheese soda bread for a delicious and easy meal.

2 tsp oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cups kumara (sweet potatoes or yams), chopped into 2-inch chunks
1 cup red lentils
1 cube vegetable stock or 1 tsp seasoning salt
4 cups water
1 to 2 tsp cumin
sour cream (optional)

Heat oil, add onion. Stir over medium heat until onion is soft. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until yams and lentils are soft. Blend mixture with an immersion blender, or in small batches in a blender.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Cheesy Soda Bread
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
1 cup shredded cheese
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil

In large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, flax seeds, sugar, baking soda, salt and cheese. In small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and oil. Add to dry ingredients all at once; stir with fork until soft dough forms. On lightly floured surface and with floured hands, press dough into ball; knead lightly 10 times. Place on greased baking sheet; gently pat out dough into 6-inch (15 cm) circle. Sprinkle a little flour over loaf. With sharp knife, score large X on top of loaf.
Bake in centre of 375ºF (190ºC) oven for about 45 minutes or until golden and tester inserted in centre comes out clean.

-Recipe adapted from Canadian Living

I love this soup! Of course I do, it has yams in it. Is it mean to keep cooking with yams so much when my kids don’t like them? Probably, but I’m the cook. I keep hoping if I serve them yams enough they might come around. I tried to fool Cole with the kumara name but he didn’t go for it. He kept saying ‘what’s that awful smell?’ I think he was smelling the cumin, which I happen to like, but it was pretty funny. He did really like the bread though, and dipped it in the soup at least. I’ve never made soda bread before, so I’m not sure how it’s supposed to be, but I found the dough really hard to work with because it was so moist and gooey. I had to keep flouring the surface and my hands a lot while I was trying to knead it. I thought I messed it up because it was so sticky, but once it baked it was really very nice! I’ll have to try another soda bread recipe and see if they’re all like that or if it was just this recipe. Anyone who is familiar with soda bread please enlighten me! I liked how much faster it was to make than regular bread. It was good the next day too when I toasted it. The cheese biscuits from my Minestrone soup post would also be good with this.