Chicken, Sweet Potato and Kale Soup

We have had a cool summer in comparison to previous summers.  The last week we had very cool days and nights.  It really started to feel like fall.  Fall is one of my favorite seasons, the air is clean, clear and crisp.  Of course along with fall comes my love of soups.  I was trying to figure out what to do with the chicken I had and kept thinking, soup would be really good.

I found this recipe on the Paleo Plan website.  Please note at the bottom of the recipe for my changes the next time I make this soup.  I also tweaked the recipe as I was making it due to my food allergies and one ingredient I did not have in stock.

Chicken, Sweet Potato and Kale Soup (Paleo)
2 tablespoon coconut oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced (I used 3 to add more flavor)
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano (I used 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon of sea salt and more to taste
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (I cannot use this due to my food allergies)
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces. (I used boneless chicken breasts)
4 cups chicken broth
6 cups water
1 bay leaf (I cannot use this due to my food allergies)
2 ounces jalapenos, canned and diced (I did not have these so I used 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper)
1 large sweet potato
1 bunch of kale, chopped
1 bunch green onions, sliced (whites and greens)
juice of 1 lemon (as much as I would like to add this, again I am allergic)
Heat large pot over medium-high heat.  When hot, add oil, onion, garlic, thyme, and oregano, and saute until onion is softened and slightly translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon of the sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper.  Add chicken to the pot and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to medium, add broth, water, bay leaf, jalapenos, sweet potato, kale and green onions and simmer for about 20 minutes.  Just before serving, season with salt and pepper and lemon juice.

***NOTE:  One thing I would change about this recipe to impart more flavor would be to switch around the amount of water and broth.  So next time I would add 6 cups broth and 4 cups water.