Winter Vegetable Korma Soup

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 3/4 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 medium yellow onions, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, peeled first
4 medium cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

4 C sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
12 ounces (4C) cauliflower, cut into tiny trees
3C water (I add bullion for extra flavor)
1/2 C ground almonds
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
12 ounces / 340 g firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
6 oz pkg. fresh spinach, shredded

1/2 cup / 4.5 oz / 130 g greek yogurt
1/2 cup / 120 ml fat free half 'n' half
1/4 cup / 65g sliced almonds, toasted
a small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine the cardamom, turmeric, red pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat some spray oil in a thick-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions. Cook until they soften a bit, just a minute or two. Then add the ginger and then garlic. Stir in the spices and continue cooking for a couple minutes, or until the spices are very fragrant. Stir in the potatoes, cauliflower, and half the almonds. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt.

Now stir in 3 cups of water and ground almonds. Stir gently, cover with a lid leaving a tiny crack and simmer for 15-20 minutes, the potatoes should be just about cooked by then. Taste, and add more salt if needed. Stir in the tofu and shredded spinach during the last 5 minutes so it has time to heat through.

In the meantime, combine the yogurt and cream in a bowl with a couple pinches of salt.

Serve each bowl with 2T of the yogurt cream, and top with the slivered nuts and chopped cilantro.

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user TAMRACLOVEC.