Heat the oil (or water) in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is tender and translucent. Add the tomatoes and red curry paste and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes have released their juices and cooked down a bit.

Stir in the salt, allspice, red pepper flakes, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, beans, and sweet potatoes, then pour in the broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup so that about half of the sweet potato cubes and kidney beans are still visible and whole, or puree about half of the soup in a standard blender and return it to the pot. Add the collard greens and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the greens have wilted. Stir in the coconut milk and scallions. If the soup is thicker than you'd like, stir in more broth to achieve the desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Serve with extra chopped scallions.